The Snow Fairy
by AeriaGloris10
Summary: Jack Frost and Toothiana are in a relationship, fulfilling their duties as Guardians and continuing to surprise each other in magical ways. Toothiana welcomes a new fairy into the fold, but there is something very different about this new arrival. What happens when the seemingly impossible becomes possible? References information in the books, but is not meant to be entirely loyal.
1. Flight and Dance

**Hello again, readers. :) I went to see ****_Rise of the Guardians_**** and was pulled into Frostbite. Jack and Tooth were so adorable, and their subtly-romantic moments food for the eyes. I had this idea after all of those moments with Baby Tooth. I'm committing myself to finishing this fic, which should run for about five chapters. **

**I'm also set on finishing ****_Zero to Hero_****, I promise! Enjoy and Happy Holidays.**

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It was late November, the end of the Thanksgiving weekend for a cozy Northern town, surrounded by forests of bare trees. Families were exhaustedly heading towards their beds, the adults predicting a hard morning and a sudden return to the workplace after a weekend of rest and excessive food.

Two children, in particular, looked forward to the next morning. Seven-year-old Anita had finally lost one of her bottom incisors, and eight-year-old Alex was placing a molar underneath his pillow. For them the next morning would bring a gift from the Tooth Fairy. They were resolved to stay up and catch a glimpse of the fabled spirit, but they were asleep by the time midnight came along.

Two shapes hovered over the town, one of them a miniature of the other, but both covered in dazzling feathers that glowed in the darkness. Toothiana smiled with anticipation as she looked at Alex's roof, eager to collect that precious treasure resting beneath his head. "I'll take care of him, Baby Tooth. You go get Anita's," she said to her smaller counterpart.

Baby Tooth squeaked a "yes," and flitted off towards the girl's house, leaving Toothiana to glide down to Alex's bedroom window. The Guardian passed through the glass, out of the cold and into the child's racecar-themed room. She giggled softly as she quickly flew closer and peered at the boy's face, finding only innocent bliss in his young features. Alex turned to his side, pulling his blanket up to his chin and sighing contentedly. An amorphous ball of golden sand appeared above his head, transforming into a racecar that zoomed around an invisible track.

Glad that the Sandman was helping, Toothiana carefully reached underneath the pillow, biting her lip as her fingers searched for the molar. Her tail-feathers fluttered in triumph when she grasped it, slowly pulling it out to take a closer look. Just the slightest hint of a cavity, but Toothiana shrugged it off. Alex was still young, with time to learn how to take care of his teeth. She produced a quarter out of the air, its glint bright, and placed it squarely beneath his head.

The colorful fairy glided backwards, hands clasped with emotion. She loved leaving gifts, no matter how small they were. She loved hearing their overjoyed shouts when they found her gifts. _North and Bunny only get to experience this once a year. I'm so fortunate!_

Then she heard a crackling sound from behind her and spun around to find the source. Toothiana's eyes went round with surprise when she saw familiar frost trails on the windowpane. Her heart made a familiar skip when she felt the subtle drop in the temperature. _Jack Frost._

She passed through the window, her feathers ruffling when the cold air hit her. Toothiana's surprised shudder became a breathy cloud in front of her. "Couldn't resist, could you Jack?!" She heard the rush of wind above her head and looked up, seeing a powder blue-clad form floating on the air currents.

Jack Frost was grinning at his handiwork as he twirled his staff, already having summoned wisps of snow from the air and watching them float down to the ground. He had been waiting a long time to bring snow to this particular part of the Earth, his heart linked to the town and the children who had saved him and his fellow Guardians. The snow would bring games and excitement for the approaching holidays. Jack could linger among the kids and watch them play with abandon, stirring his memories of when he used to be just like them.

The Guardian smiled mischievously when he spotted the Tooth Fairy's colorful form below, next to one of the many houses. Her hands were on her hips as she looked up at him, an eyebrow raised and wearing a dazzling smile. His heart fluttered in his chest, a common occurrence nowadays when he ran into her. Jack found her joy infectious, loving how she would enthusiastically send her fairies off to some child and quickly fly to another by herself. Jack had been surprised by how much they had in common, such as her spitfire nature and love of children.

Most of all Jack loved that he was still overwhelmingly astounded by Toothiana, never tiring of watching her quickly fly from one place to another, months after they'd become a couple. How could he resist? How could she?

Toothiana laughed melodically and flew up too meet him, both their arms stretching out at the same time to wrap around the other. Her boyfriend had spent the last two months in North's workshop, awaiting the return of winter and learning more about his duties as a Guardian. They'd seen each other on nights when Jack was free to offer a helping hand collecting teeth. Now he was back, and for good. Jack's husky voice tickled her ear when he said, "Well I had to catch your attention _somehow._ I missed you." He pulled his head away, still holding on to her.

The Fairy smiled back, her hand finding the nape of his neck to gently pull him back for a brief kiss. His lips were momentarily warmed by the feel of hers, and he savored the light pressure of her chest against his as he pulled her closer.

Toothiana ended the kiss, her hands resting on his shoulders. "You missed me…and you couldn't wait to give the kids a treat, right?"

He chuckled, throwing his free hand up in surrender. "You got me. Some of the older kids aren't too excited about their break ending, so I thought I'd _maybe_ give them a tiny snow day!" The winter spirit glanced down, prompting Toothiana to do the same. A light blanket of snow already covered the ground below.

"Oh very funny, Snow Man. Distracting me with a kiss to get your work done, huh?" She playfully pushed him away and sped off, hearing him follow in pursuit.

The wind whistled as the Guardians raced across the sky, the moon a round beacon above them. Jack slowed to a halt when they arrived at the lake where he'd been reborn, and shouted, "Wind! Bring me Tooth!"

She gasped in mock outrage as the wind surrounded her. "Jack, that's a dirty tri-_YAAH!" _She was speedily pulled into Jack's waiting arms, the younger Guardian smirking dangerously when he caught her. Toothiana panted in exhilaration as she looked into Jack's crystal blue eyes. Her gaze inevitably traveled to his mouth, his teeth like perfect diamonds. "I missed you too, Guardian of Joy."

They floated down slowly, the lake surface freezing when Jack's feet touched it. He released Tooth, still watching her quick, graceful movements. Then she touched the ice, her transparent wings aloft and her hands held as though she were dancing. Her lilac eyes were looking down at the ice in wonder as it spread across the lake. The very sight took Jack's breath away. He suddenly had an idea. "Wait, don't move. Stay right there!" He threw his staff up to grasp it at the base, and turned his back on a confused Toothiana.

The Fairy stayed where she was, trying to ignore her cold feet. "What is it?"

Jack ran to the shore and faced the lake again, peering back at Tooth for a few moments before moving the tip of his staff over the frozen surface. He had a look of intense concentration as he made careful, deliberate movements with the staff. He then floated closely above it and began to trace an image on the frost. He looked up at Toothiana every few seconds, his eyes bright with purpose. Toothiana flushed when she realized what he was probably doing. "Jack, are you really going to…?"

He smiled up at her before straightening back up. "That should do it." His held his arms over the image and silently willed it to take life and a solid form. Jack pulled mentally, power flowing through his fingers and sparking the image into emerging from the ice.

Toothiana gasped when her ice-twin twirled into the air, leaving a shimmering trail in its wake. The other Toothiana danced fluidly, moonlight glowing through her transparent body. She was formed beautifully, her wings just as thin and fine as the real Toothiana's. The Guardian laughed in breathless wonder, glancing back at the self-satisfied Jack with adoration. "Jack, it's _beautiful!"_ She flew up to join the apparition, throwing her arms up and moving along to an old melody from her memories. Her twin moved with her in perfect symmetry. She heard a rush of air, knowing that Jack flew up to join her.

The two Guardians danced in a circle, not noticing the ice-twin disappear in a puff of snow. Jack was filled with joy as he moved with Toothiana, every beat of his immortal heart signifying a wondrous moment with the Fairy. Toothiana smiled blissfully, trying to commit every second to memory. A force as powerful as gravity gradually pulled them towards each other into another tender kiss, their foreheads touching as their breath mingled in the night air.

Toothiana whispered with reluctance, "I have to go back to the ToothPalace…There are more teeth that need collecting."

Jack smiled with acceptance and gave her a quick kiss on the nose. "I'll meet you there once I'm done covering Alaska and Canada."

She giggled, her eyes reflecting the moonlight. "Don't get _too _carried away." She floated away from him without a word of goodbye, but with a loving stroke of his pale cheek. Jack caught her wrist and kissed her palm, letting her go at last.

When she was out of sight Jack turned towards the moon, and nodded his approval. "I have to say that this Guardian business has been better than I thought."

A week passed, Jack having helped Toothiana and the other Fairies collect teeth and leave gifts while covering towns and cities with a light frosting.

The Fairy was in the ToothPalace, kneeling by the pool beneath the wall painting she treasured so dearly. She was feeling something familiar in her chest, yet somewhat different. She'd released millions of fairies, tiny extensions of herself that knew her every thought. Every time was the same: a frequent flutter from her chest, accompanied by a warm sensation in her heart. Moments later a fairy would emerge, ready to collect teeth and leave gifts beneath children's pillows.

This time her chest felt unusually cold. It was not unpleasant, merely strange. She did not remember ever feeling so cold. Three fairies lingered beside her worriedly. Toothiana smiled reassuringly and said, "It's okay, girls. If something were wrong I'm sure the Man in the Moon would mention it."

The moon was being silent, as though waiting for something to happen. _Not exactly helping the situation!_

Toothiana doubled over with a shocked cry. Her body felt _frozen_, painfully so. Her heart hammered in her chest as she frantically rubbed her arms. "What…is this…?" Jack was nowhere near the Palace. What could be causing this?

She gritted her teeth and felt the cold shift towards her chest again, stronger than before. She held her hands to her chest and shut her eyes as the fairy finally emerged from her skin. Toothiana gasped at how cold the fairy felt, but was relieved when her own body temperature returned to normal. She opened her eyes and opened her palms, expecting to see another miniature copy of herself.

What she saw was blue. Blue as ice on a cold night.

Toothiana gaped at the fairy, hearing the other three's collective gasps as they too caught sight of the creature.

The fairy was shaped like the other miniatures, every feature the same. But where her feathers were shimmering tones of blue when they should have been turquoise and the marks over her eyes were powder blue rather than pink. Toothiana's mind raced as she looked at the cold fairy she was cradling in her hands. _How could this have happened? I've never released a blue fairy!_

The three fairies hovered over them, squeaking with curiosity. The blue fairy began to stir, Toothiana bringing her closer to her face. "What _are_ you…?"

The fairy opened her eyes slowly, revealing familiar crystal-blue orbs that caused Toothiana's stomach to flutter. She sat speechless as the fairy's eyes widened in surprise and curiosity. Her little wings slowly unfurled, silvery rather than transparent and pink. She opened her mouth and let out an exclamation that sounded like jingles.

Toothiana frowned, dumbfounded. "…That sounds like _sleigh_ bells…"

Suddenly the fairy zoomed up into the air, jingling loudly and leaving a thin trail of powdery snow in her wake. Toothiana's jaw dropped, the other three fairies dropping from the air in shock. "No…No, it can't be!"

But her mind went to Jack's face, over and over until there was no doubt left in her mind.

The moon's whisper only confirmed it.

The blue fairy glided back towards Toothiana, jingling in happiness as she cuddled into the bigger fairy's shoulder feathers. The Tooth Fairy stared at the moon in disbelief, wondering how it could be possible.

She repeated what the moon had stated, "…She's mine and Jack's…_child?!"_


	2. Tons of Explainin' to Do

**Do you AMAZING people realize how FULL my inbox was? I was so amazed by the response to the first chapter. I read every review and kept thinking, "Aww shucks! All this for a simple shipper?" I want to thank you all for taking the time to fave, follow, and review. You encourage me to write as best I can.**

**But I want to also thank mishacakes from Tumblr. I was looking through the Frostbite tag and ran into THIS:**

**mishacakes . tumblr dot com / post / three six nine seven three six three one zero nine one / okay-so-this-fic-is-incredibly-kawaii-and **

**(Copy and paste to the URL box. Remove the spaces, 'dot' becomes a period, and use the actual numbers. Leave the dashes in 'okay-so...' THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.)**

**I cannot begin to tell you all how hard my heart began to beat and how my stomach kept flipping! This is the best response I could have gotten! mishacakes, I want to thank you VEHEMENTLY for perfectly capturing the Frost Fairy. You moved me to near-tears. I felt like Jack did when Jamie finally saw him and hugged him! Someone please give mishacakes this message from me!**

**Be sure to leave a nice note! Here's chapter two!**

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December started off with a weekend of snowball fights and sleighing, the local kids running out the door with their sleds. The park was dotted with snow forts, small figures crouching behind them to avoid a snowball in the face. The air was filled with laughter, signaled by puffs of breath coming from the children's mouths.

Jack sat atop a tree, leaning on his staff with a wide grin on his face. Even though he had once tried to disassociate himself from North and Christmas, he would love seeing children's astounded faces when they caught sight of the pure white blanket of snow outside their window. Their talk would inevitably turn to Christmas, which annoyed Jack. Now, after finding a good friend in the jolly old man, he was happy to be a part of something the kids so obviously enjoyed.

It was late afternoon, and parents were beginning to call their children home. The young ones would protest but then admit their exhaustion after a long day of play. Their cheeks would be flushed but the happiness in their eyes would tell Jack that the exhaustion was worth the joy of a Snow Day.

The Guardian got to his feet and launched himself into the air with a grunt. He steered himself towards one house in particular, where two small forms ran to the porch to their waiting mother.

Jamie exclaimed while pointing to his sister, Sophie, "Mom! Mom! Sophie lost her tooth! We were on the sled…and when—when we got to the bottom she had it in her hand!"

Jack grinned as he floated above them lazily. A tooth beneath a pillow meant Toothiana, or one of her fairies. It appeared that Jamie was well aware of this fact, as he was excitedly saying to his wide-eyed sister, "That means you get to see the Tooth Fairy, Soph! She's so awesome, and she has all of these mini-fairies to help her out!"

Suddenly Sophie wailed plaintively and shot off towards the house, nearly crashing into her bewildered mother's legs. The adult looked over her shoulder in confusion before asking Jamie, "What on earth is wrong with her?"

_She probably remembers the 'blood and gum' incident, most likely,_ Jack thought as he stifled a chuckle. Jamie was his most ardent believer, and would always see him. North kept telling Jack to keep a low profile, lest the children lose their sense of wonder about seeing the elusive Guardians. But Jack figured it would not hurt to leave little reminders now and then, such as a living ice-figure that would frolic in front of Jamie and Sophie.

The Guardian was about to shoot back up into the air, towards a town further south that was in need of some overnight flurries, when he saw bright, colorful lights out of the corner of his eye. Jack turned towards it, frowning in confusion when he saw the Borealis beacon from the Pole. "What the…?"

The beacon meant an emergency, and that all Guardians were to gather at the Pole as soon as possible. The last time North had called the Guardians together was when Pitch Black had made his appearance, his Nightmares wreaking havoc on children's dreams. _It can't be! Not Pitch Black!_ Jack instinctively clutched his staff, the most powerful weapon he had against the Boogeyman. If Pitch wanted a fight Jack would make sure to beat him back into the darkness, where he belonged.

"Wind! To the Pole!" Jack let the wind propel him north, adrenaline coursing through his body as he tried to think of the best way to confront Pitch. It would be unwise to pit the children against him again, and Antarctica would have to melt before Jack risked a child's life. Jack's silver hair whipped around as he sped closer to the Pole, seeing the bright lights from inside the workshop.

He landed just outside the take-off platform, sprinting inside past the Yetis and elves. The creatures were giving him venomous looks, as though he had made it snow during Independence Day. Jack stared back, bewildered, as he walked towards the main workshop. "…What's up guys?"

One Yeti, Phil, roared an insult. Jack's eyebrows flew up at the coarse language. "Alright, then! I'll just…go inside."

Once he was inside Jack immediately looked at the globe. All he found was more confusion, since every light was intact. Children all over the world still believed in the Guardians and supernatural beings. "If it's not the kids, or Pitch, then what-"

_"JACK FROST!"_

Jack spun to see a furious, six-foot tall rabbit stalking towards him. The Easter Bunny's long arms reached out to grab him. "You…"

The young Guardian quickly backed away but the control panel blocked his path, and Bunnymund was getting closer. "Wha—Me?"

Bunnymund grabbed him by the front of his jacket with a growl, "You _IRRESPONSIBLE_…" He lifted Jack into the air, the boy frantically trying to get loose. "_NO GOOD, RECKLESS LOUSE!"_

Grabbing the other Guardian's hand, Jack grunted out, "What is _wrong_ with you?! Put me down, you rabid-"

Toothiana appeared behind Bunnymund, her eyes wide with alarm. She shouted, "Bunny! Put him down right now!"

But the rabbit only shook him roughly, making Jack's head spin out of control. He snarled, his accent much stronger than usual, "How could you do this to _Tooth?"_

"DO _WHAT?"_

"_LEAVE HER WITH A NOSE-BITER, FROST."_

The Tooth Fairy had zoomed to Bunnymund, pulling at his shoulder in an effort to free Jack, but the rabbit was far too strong. "That is _not _what happened, Bunnymund!"

Jack's eyes flitted to the Fairy and frantically asked hoarsely, "What in the name of sleet is this maniac talking about? When did I bite your nose?"

Bunnymund yelled, "A _NOSE BITER_. A CHILD, FROST!"

At first the words didn't register, but Jack slowly caught the Easter Bunny's meaning as his dizziness abated. He glanced at him, and then back to Tooth, who was wringing her hands nervously. Her eyes were darting to his, as though she was unsure of something. "Wait...No, no, no, no _way."_

How on earth could he and Tooth have _a child?_ They were Guardians! Immortal! Surely they had no need for…procreation!

But Jack's heart was hammering in his chest, his feet searching for some purchase since Bunny was not letting him go. "Tooth, what's going on?"

The Fairy bit her lip before answering, "Uh…I released another fairy today, except this time I felt different. I felt…as though I was freezing."

Jack kept staring at her, his throat constricting painfully. He'd met Toothiana's fairies, all of them extensions of her and bearing most of her physical and characteristic traits, saving for their size and ability to speak. It would not be wrong to assume that they were, in a way, her children. "I don't understand. Wh-what makes this fairy _my_ kid? We never-"

"I know, Jack!" Toothiana sighed wearily, crossing her arms as she tried to find the words to explain. "She…kind of _looks_ like you, Jack."

Bunnymund shook him again, his teeth bared ferociously. "Doesn't surprise me that you'd be this _insane_, you irresponsible brat!"

Outraged and shocked at the accusation, Jack brought the staff up to give the Easter Bunny a firm tap on the forehead with it. The six-foot rabbit shouted in pain as icy frost settled on his forehead, making him release Jack. He quickly darted away in Toothiana's direction, holding his hands up placatingly. "I don't understand! How can we _have _a kid? All we've been doing is kissing!" It was the honest-to-Moon truth. Every innocent embrace was enough to make the two Guardians happy. They felt their love for each other deep in their hearts and Guardian cores. From what Jack knew in his long 300 years of life babies were…more complex, to say the least.

"Well, where is she?" Jack had avoided thinking about the what-ifs during the centuries. Thinking about whether or not he would have married and had children was too unnecessarily painful. He could fill that emptiness by providing joy to every other child in existence. But that would lead to a whole other kind of pain, since the children could not see him.

A booming voice echoed through the workshop, "_CONGRATULATIONS, JACK!"_

He heard a faint jingling coming in their direction, and turned to see North's imposing form walking towards him. Sandy floated along behind him, his beatific gaze on a small floating form zooming around his head. Jack's stomach leapt when he caught sight of the fairy.

She was blue, her feathers glimmering in exquisite shades of the color, going from silver to a deep blue reminiscent of Jack's jacket. His focus was on her, trying to catch every single detail and movement. She looked like the rest of Toothiana's flock, save for the glaring difference in coloring and voices. Jack's heart beat faster as she came closer, unable to believe that this was really happening. He clutched his staff tighter when he saw the snow sprinkling from her wings. "She…She makes it snow," he whispered in wonder.

He felt Toothiana's hand come to rest on her shoulder, and turned to see her smiling at the little creature. "She loves snow. She was ecstatic when we got here, and I could barely get her inside to speak to North."

The Guardian of Wonder laughed heartily as he reached Jack and Toothiana, his glimmering eyes catching sight of a still angry Bunnymund. "Now, I had present for you and Tooth, Jack. Elves! Bring it over!"

Jack saw a pair of elves jingle towards him, holding a silver platter between them. There was a cookie the size of a softball on the platter, bearing the words 'IT'S A GIRL,' in pink frosting.

He heard a louder jingling and turned towards it, gasping in surprise when he saw the blue fairy a few inches away from his face. She was staring at Jack, her eyes round with curiosity. Then he saw what color her eyes were: light blue, identical to his. He opened his mouth, no sound coming out, and brought his hand up to gently touch the crest on her head. It felt soft beneath his fingers, just like Toothiana's. Except this little one did not feel warm. She felt…_right_. Familiar and comfortable as the snow beneath Jack's feet.

Her little hands quickly grasped Jack's index finger, and she smiled ecstatically as she looked at Toothiana, jingling a question.

Toothiana giggled and said, "That's right. This is your Dad, little one!"

The blue fairy's face lit up in joy and she turned back to Jack, hugging his finger tightly. The loving gesture made Jack let out a trembling breath. He was caught off-guard by the depth of his feeling for this…Frost Fairy. He was a child at heart, but he'd still watched mortals drift through their short lives, building connections with each other and forming families. His mother had loved him and his sister with the entirety of her heart. Jack never knew what that felt like until this moment, when everything revolved around the Fairy clutching his finger and jingling softly. He placed his free arm around Toothiana's shoulders, and they both stared at the Fairy.

Bunnymund 'harrumphed' and rolled his eyes, still glaring at Jack. "Still doesn't explain how the nose-biter came about."

At the sound of his voice, the Fairy swiftly turned towards the Easter Bunny, frowning and waving her long nose-beak threateningly.

North chuckled deeply and replied, "Well, Jack and Tooth have been quite close as of late. In fact, so close that the light between you two rivals moonlight!"

The Sandman added a sandy, swirling image above his head, forming a miniature Tooth and Jack embracing beneath a crescent moon, just as they had been a week before.

Jack and Toothiana glanced at each other shyly, the younger Guardian feeling a tingling sensation in his chest at the memory of their dance. Toothiana smiled with a blush.

The tall Guardian continued, "So Man in Moon decide to give form to that light!" He gestured towards the Frost Fairy, who was now examining Jack's staff with intense curiosity. "She is _delightful_ little tyke! Like child on Christmas morning!"

Jack chuckled softly, smiling up at the unbelievable little creature sitting at the top of his staff. "Is it even…C-can Guardians _have_ kids?"

Toothiana turned to North and added, "Yeah, I never thought that two Guardians might have offspring."

Bunnymund scoffed, "_Please!_ As much as I might've thought about being a father, can you imagine a thousand infant bunnies in The Warren? I'd never get any work done!"

North stroked his beard as he gazed at Jack and Toothiana. "If there is one thing I have learned is that life is _filled _with possibility. I have seen and am sure I will see many wonders! You two, you have _magic _in you. So who says you cannot have child?"

Jack looked at the fairy. His…_daughter_. The very thought was so foreign to _him_, the embodiment of mischief and fun. He had no doubt that he loved children, but he never thought that he'd have one of his own. He turned his gaze to Toothiana, who stared at him with so much love in her lilac eyes. The very idea that their love was so powerful made Jack's heart swell. Suddenly he heard a frightened jingle, and turned in time to shoot his hands out to catch the fairy. He and Toothiana let out a simultaneous sigh of relief, then laughed breathlessly.

Bringing his hand to his forehead, Bunnymund moaned dispiritedly, "Jack Frost, a _father_. Next thing you know the Man in the Moon will pick the Groundhog to be a Guardian."

The three older Guardians left the new family alone, Bunnymund shaking his head as North patted his back. The cookie platter lay off to the side.

Jack held the yawning Frost Fairy in his palm, sitting down with his legs crossed. Toothiana knelt next to him, laying her head on his shoulder. The Fairy snuggled into Jack's hand and closed her eyes, her wings slowing to a stop and leaving a dusting of snow in her father's palm. Toothiana reached her hand over to gently stroke the dozing fairy, Jack noticing how her fingers flinched away from the cold.

He turned to her, his gaze filled with concern, "Tooth, I haven't even asked yet. Are you…okay? I bet it hurt…"

She smiled reassuringly and answered, "It felt strange. Different from all the other times. I was so surprised when the Moon told me that she was _ours_. But I didn't know how you'd react."

Jack hugged her close, pressing his forehead to his. "Silly Fairy. I don't think I'd ever doubt you or the Moon. She's…" He sighed and looked down at their peacefully sleeping child. "…Amazing. Did you name her yet?"

The Tooth Fairy replied, "I was so shocked that I haven't been able to think of one. Maybe you can think of something that fits. She definitely likes teeth, since she was trying to steal the one Baby Tooth had just brought in. You saw how her wings sprinkle snow when she flies, and her voice sounds like bells."

The younger Guardian looked at the infant fairy thoughtfully, surmising that she would indeed be a tooth fairy. But she was also a frost spirit like him. She spoke in jingles and sprinkled snow…He could not get Christmas out of his head.

"…What do you think of…'Noelle?' She reminds me of Christmas, and…North's always been a good friend to us."

Toothiana smiled with delight. "That's true! He always sees the good in any situation, and he's just so…_kind_. Noelle it is!"

The two Guardians continued to gaze down at Noelle, sitting beneath the brightly lit globe and wondering what the future had in store for their mysterious daughter.


	3. Baby Steps

**Thank you for the kind reviews, my friends. I'm a week away from a complete break (COLLEGE, AGH), so it'll be at least a week before the next chapter. Thanks for the suggestions and please enjoy this extra-long chapter. **

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Baby Tooth flew into the Tooth Palace, not too surprised at seeing Jack sitting with Toothiana in the main area of the Tooth Palace. He'd spent so much time with them over the last few months, joining the Tooth Fairy on her collections, and even joining some of the minor fairies. Now their attention was completely captured by that little Snow Fairy. Baby Tooth had been gone for perhaps three hours, finding a clean molar in Florida, but Jack and Toothiana were in the same position they were in before she left, their eyes following the Snow Fairy's every move. _Now they're going to pay more attention to her…_

Baby Tooth closed her mismatched eyes, knowing everything would be different from now on. If Toothiana and Jack ignored her, at least she'd have her fairy-sisters around.

Tooth, meanwhile, held her chin in her hands as she sat on her bench, watching Noelle zoom around the castle with Jack hot on her tail. The frost spirit laughed and hooted in exhilaration as he reached for the quick little sprite. "You need to be faster than that to outrun me, Noelle!" He nearly closed his fist around the snow fairy, but she gained speed and jingled away, blowing a thick flurry of snow in his face.

Jack shut his eyes against the cold assault and stopped in mid-air, hearing Toothiana's musical laughter float up to him. He wiped his face dry with his hand and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to follow Noelle's path above him. Even from a distance he could see the silvery twinkle of her wings and eyes. He had to admit it: his baby was _adorable_. He'd always thought Tooth's fairies were enchanting, so child-like and endearing in their need to please. Jack would enthusiastically join in their tooth hunts and pranks, finding the joy in their duty as tooth fairies. Noelle was just as special, and more prone to making a mess, it seemed. The Tooth Palace was covered with a drizzle of snow, courtesy of the snow fairy.

Jack floated down to sit beside Toothiana, still smiling up at their daughter. Only a few hours had passed since they left the Pole and Noelle kept surprising them. She could fly just as well as the other fairies, and did not tire easily. Her snowballs were small in size, and unfortunately Jack did not yet get the chance to see if they had similar effects as his. Whenever a fairy returned with a tooth Noelle immediately zoomed towards her to take a look for herself.

"It's like she knows what they carry within," Toothiana remarked. "I can't wait to see how she does in the field, but…I'm almost scared to let her go alone."

Jack sat beside her, leaning his head on his staff and suggesting, "She doesn't have to. I could follow her the first couple of times, or Baby Tooth could."

They didn't hear Baby Tooth's angry muttering from within one of the domes that housed the fairies.

Toothiana smiled at the idea of both fairies going out to collect teeth. Yet she sensed that Baby Tooth was feeling a little jealousy towards Noelle. Toothiana tried to give each fairy the attention they deserved, but Noelle was in much greater focus now, and Baby Tooth seemed especially sensitive. "She could," she said with a wary flutter of her wings. Toothiana was taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself and figure out how to put her question in the right words. She knew Jack valued his freedom, but Noelle's arrival changed everything. She obviously loved both of her parents, and it might upset her to see them go their separate ways. Noelle had eagerly stuck to Toothiana's side, but could hardly keep away from Jack either.

The younger Guardian sensed the Tooth Fairy's nervousness, giving her a sidelong concerned gaze. Her lilac eyes were darting around, looking at nothing in particular. Jack maneuvered his staff to place its tip at her chin, turning her face to his. He looked at her earnestly, no tricks behind his back, and said, "You want to ask me something, right?"

The Fairy smiled uneasily and glanced away. "It's…" She sighed and looked down at her hands, wringing them. "It's about us and Noelle. I know you've never liked the idea of starting a base for yourself. You like to…be out there, making a home out in the open air. And that's fine! I think it's wonderful that you're so close to the children. But now that we have Noelle…" Toothiana felt like she should not continue. Confining Jack would probably alienate him from her.

Yet Jack seemed to catch her drift, and smiled reassuringly. "It's okay, Tooth."

She finally blurted it out, "I want you to live with me! That is…with _us_." Noelle flew down towards them, Toothiana raising an arm to let the Frost Fairy land in her hand. "Noelle loves us both and I can't help but think that she'll be upset if we go our separate ways, even if we _are_ a couple. So…I thought you could stay here, come and go as you please and go on with your duties as Guardian. You won't have a curfew or anything, I mean, it's not like _I _have a curfew since I hardly ever sit still enough to get a goodnight's sleep-"

Jack silenced her ramble with a kiss, pressing his lips to hers and letting the sensation of touch flow over their senses. He pulled away with a soft chuckle, watching how her eyes glazed over and a blush appeared in her cheeks. "I'd like that, Tooth." When she'd asked Jack felt as though his heart would burst out of his chest from the sheer excitement of the idea. To be able to see Toothiana in the morning, night, any time of day, and be with Noelle was more than he ever thought possible. She didn't need to worry about limiting his freedom. Jack felt freest with her, able to be himself and find happiness in her joy.

Noelle chimed gleefully, flying into Jack's silver hair and tumbling about as the young Guardian laughed. Toothiana smiled in relief, unable to resist encircling Jack in her arms. She closed her eyes to feel the cold of his skin beneath his sweater, feeling alive and able to fly all the way to the Moon. She sighed when Jack's arms wrapped around her waist, feeling something similar to the magical sensation from the week before.

Toothiana brightly said, "We can all stay in my nest."

Jack felt a spike of cold in his cheeks at those words. "Wuh…Well…" It felt so strange, being so old yet feeling so young. But it was _Toothiana_, the one who filled him with such love for her, and who he was. "Sounds…great! Uh, it's a nest?"

She shrugged and smiled with a hint of embarrassment. "Yeah, well. Being half-hummingbird and all…"

He quickly raised his hands and said, "Not that there's anything wrong with a nest! I mean…I sleep in trees! My mother would always call me an owl back when…" Jack drifted off, the memory so new and so precious. Noelle noticed the change and cuddled closer to his scalp.

Toothiana smiled understandingly, but suddenly became alert. Her wings began to flap and she propelled out of the Palace. Jack stood, knowing what had called her attention. Noelle stared after her mother, wide-eyed and curious.

"Tooth! In California," she called over her shoulder. "I'll take this one myself! Think you two can settle in alright?"

Jack waved with a grin. "No problem! We'll be okay. You go find some more kids to scare."

"Oh, ha-ha! You're a funny little snow sprite!" She wrinkled her nose at him before speeding away, the other fairies either gazing after her or going to retrieve teeth themselves.

Jack blew out a soft breath, looking at the spiraling towers of the Tooth Palace both above and below him. He had absolutely no idea where he might find Toothiana's nest. The Fairy was true to her hummingbird nature, never stopping when she could be off doing something productive. In fact Jack was sure she hardly ever got a good night's sleep. When she wasn't off collecting teeth she was organizing the fairies, constantly on the lookout for teeth. After the disaster with Pitch Black, Toothiana did not want to risk letting a single tooth fall into his hands.

Noelle fluttered in front of him, waving him in the direction she was flying with a loud jingle, her smile so wide and brilliant. Jack imagined her trailing after Toothiana or the other fairies, finding teeth and leaving gifts behind. She would spread joy to the children, just like he did, and guard their memories alongside Toothiana. They'd all make sure Pitch never touched the teeth again.

Jack flew up after Noelle, the thought of Pitch bringing a sour taste in his mouth. Then he thought of Noelle in his merciless grasp, remembering when he'd held a terrified Baby Tooth prisoner. He clutched his staff and gritted his teeth against the idea, thinking, _Pitch is never getting near Noelle._

Noelle hovered towards one of the smaller floating structures, its inside shrouded by a cerulean blue curtain. Jack's nose was assailed by the scent of flowers as the thick material moved in the wind, surprising since the ToothPalace usually smelled of peppermint. He landed on the platform, blue eyes peering inside as though he were uncertain about entering at all. Frost spread along the floor when his feet touched the ground. He carefully moved the curtain aside and inhaled in surprise.

The room was circular, softly lit by a candle set on a nightstand beside the nest. The nest itself was large enough for even North to fit in comfortably, lined with pink throw pillows and Toothiana's multi-colored feathers. Jack walked further inside, Noelle's bright feathers a signal flare in front of him, and let the curtain fall. As soon as it did silence fell. Jack and Noelle both started in surprise when all of the outside noises ceased, blocked by the cerulean curtain.

"…How about that. Tooth's private sanctuary." Jack moved the curtain aside with his staff, the noise from millions of fairies flooding the small space. He quickly shut it, chuckling with amusement at the sudden quiet. Noelle jingled softly behind him, Jack turning to see her weave a bit towards the nearest pillow, landing on it with a soft plop. Her silver wings fluttered a few times before slowing to a halt. The Guardian moved to sit on the edge of the nest, watching as the snow fairy breathed softly and fell asleep. Jack smiled down at her, knowing that this had been a big day for her. For all of them.

He was starting to feel incredibly tired, his eyelids drooping as he watched the slow rise and fall of Noelle's little stomach. The room smelled so wonderful and natural, and he could feel the warmth as it nearly permeated his cold skin. It felt comfortable, separate from all of the chaos and noise from the Tooth Palace. It seemed that Toothiana rarely had time to relax but when she did she surely came here to escape from the constant flurry of movement.

Jack found himself lying on his side, head nestled into a pillow. He sighed in relaxation, letting his grip on his staff relax. _I'll just lay here and wait for Tooth. Then we can talk some…_

He felt himself sink deeper into the pillow, closing his eyes as he inhaled the floral scent. The nest was so soft, and just seeing Noelle snuggle closer to her pillow made Jack want to do the same. He drifted off to sleep, the image of his daughter seared into his eyelids.

An hour or so later Toothiana drifted back into the Palace, gazing at the tooth in her hands with profound interest. "This little girl was certainly impatient," she remarked to the fairies that gathered around her. Baby Tooth flew to her and rested on her head crest, peering down at the tooth. "Classic extraction using dental floss—cherry flavored—and the bedroom door!"

She floated to the area where she kept the tooth boxes, Baby Tooth carefully extracting the one with Becky Hagen's likeness on the side. Her box had four teeth. _Not a single cavity in the bunch! And her pigtails were so cute!_

Toothiana looked around to find Jack and Noelle, but didn't see them at all. "Must be in the nest, then!" Baby Tooth nodded towards the tower, a faraway look in her mismatched eyes as she joined the other fairies. Toothiana swiftly flew towards her private tower, catching sight of the frost and ice patterns glittering in the moonlight. She smiled, imagining Jack and Noelle waiting for her in that quiet space.

She parted the curtain, cheerily asking, "Hope I didn't keep you two-" She fell silent and gaped at the sight before her.

Jack was curled in the fetal position, his white head resting on one of her pillows. His hand was draped over Noelle's tiny form on the other pillow, shielding her. Toothiana floated to the side, wanting to see Jack's face. He was always on the move, rarely at rest just like her. His face looked completely peaceful, his arched brows unwrinkled, leaving his forehead smooth and pale. He'd sunk his face into the pillow, and his breathing was soft and steady. Toothiana was filled with so much love and adoration for Jack as she gazed at him, even more so that he was protective of their child even in his sleep. She knelt down beside the nest, stroking the hand that covered Noelle and gently combing his white hair with her other hand. It was so soft and cool between her fingers.

Jack stirred slightly, sighing as he gave Noelle a gentle squeeze. The snow fairy chimed softly, nestling under her father's hand.

The Fairy felt sleepy and peaceful just looking at them, and flew over them to lie down beside Jack. The nest had cooled considerably beneath him but she didn't mind it at all. Toothiana brought her hands up to touch Jack's shoulders, pressing her form closer to his. Her feathers bristled at the sensation of being warmed by moonlight and cooled by Jack's touch. She pressed her lips to the nape of his neck, warming his skin. "Goodnight, you two," she whispered as she laid her head down on a pillow, her hand resting on his side.

* * *

"Okay, Noelle," Jack called out loudly from his seat atop the statue in the park. He used his staff to point to a group of small children clustered beneath a tree in the midmorning sun. "See those kids? Try and get them to build some snowmen."

Noelle glanced at the group, then back at Jack, flying over to him with a jingle. Her eyes were round and uncertain as she pointed to the children. Jack smiled and chuckled, "Don't worry, it's easier than you think! Come on, just like I did with _them_." He nodded towards one of the nearby small hills, where a gaggle of sled-laden children slid down with loud exclamations of excitement. Jack had thrown his joy-inducing snowballs at them to stir them into running for those white hills, much to Noelle's amusement.

She gazed at them with interest, noticing how some kids would go two or three to a sled, and hold on to each other as they slid down. She wondered if her mother's fairies would ever be willing to play games like that. The one her parents called Baby Tooth didn't seem to like Noelle much, but the other fairies were too preoccupied collecting teeth. That was part of the reason Toothiana had consented to letting Noelle and Jack go to the town by themselves, father and daughter sensing her disquiet as she flew off to join the other fairies.

Noelle started when Jack lightly poked her side. "You okay in there?"

She nodded with a chime before lifting up a tiny, cupped hand, already filled with snow she'd gathered from the statue. She stared at it directly before taking a deep breath and blowing into her hand.

The small pile quickly formed into a crystal-blue snowball, glowing with magic from within. Noelle's eyes went wide with amazement, meeting Jack's knowing gaze. "Yeah, that was all you. A snowball filled with fun! Go on and get 'em!"

She flew upwards, Jack craning his neck to watch what she'd do. Noelle frowned with concentration as she tried to aim towards the children. Her tongue poked out between her lips. She lifted the snowball over her shoulder and prepared to launch it.

It slipped out of her grasp and landed directly on Jack's face. The Guardian started in surprise, and then laughed. He wiped his face clean, hearing Noelle's abashed jingle as she floated down to him. He smiled at her and said as he caught his breath, "I'm okay, I'm alright! We can try it…"

Jack blinked, trying to clear his vision of those bright sparkles that were blinding him. He clutched his staff, starting to breathe hard as the white light blocked his vision. "Noelle? Noelle where are you!?"

The light disappeared, Jack's vision finally clearing, but he was no longer outside. He was inside a cottage. His family's cottage.

_He remembered this. He was eight years old. It was Christmas Eve, and his father was coming home in a few minutes. Jack sat on a chair, watching his mother sew his favorite teddy bear's arm back. She was humming a carol, a gentle smile on her face and her dark brown eyes shining in the candlelight. _

_Jack shifted impatiently, staring at the wonderful smelling ham on the table. "Can we eat now," he asked in a much younger voice. _

_"Not yet, you little owl. Your father's due any minute now." His mother's voice was so angelic. Jack was certain she was the best singer in their small settlement, if not the whole world._

_The door opened, letting in a flurry of snow and cold air. Jack smiled wide when his father's silhouette entered. "Yes! We can start!"_

_The scene shifted to Jack sitting between his parents, starting to nod off. He struggled to keep his eyes open, not wanting to miss Saint Nicholas again. _

_His father chuckled in deep tones and ruffled his hair. "Go on, Jack. Off to bed with you."_

_The boy muttered, "No…Want to stay up!"_

_His mother turned to stare at the clock on the mantelpiece, and smiled at her husband. "Midnight. Merry Christmas, my wonderful boys!" She hugged Jack close and lifted her face to kiss her husband. She giggled and said, "Jack, will you go to bed if your father and I give you a little present?"_

_Jack yawned, too tired to argue. "What kind of present?"_

_"A bit of good news. I think you're going to like it," his father answered._

_His parents glanced at each other knowingly before his mother said, "Come this summer, you'll be a big brother, Jack!"_

_He straightened up, completely awake. Jack's face was stamped with amazed disbelief and then filled with overwhelming happiness and excitement. "I'm going to have a little brother or sister!? I promise I'll take care of him! Or her! We'll play tag, and run in the woods, and skate on the lake…"_

Jack gasped as the scene instantly disappeared from his view. He was pulled from that warm environment to the cold present. He was still on the statue, staring at the hills. Yet he felt…happy. Filled with nostalgia for those moments when he was his parents' pride and joy. Resourceful, troublemaking and fun-loving Jack Overland Frost.

He panted with astonishment. He'd gotten his memories back when he found his teeth, able to remember them like any normal person would. But that vision…Jack could have sworn he was _in_ the cottage, nestled between his mother and father. His skin had felt warm again, and his touch didn't bring frost. He kept thinking about his parents, how safe he felt with them. How happy he'd been when his sister was finally born.

Everything fell upon him like a blizzard. How had his parents handled his death? Jack closed his eyes, regretting running away from the village on the night he'd been reborn as Jack Frost. He had felt overwhelmed and upset over not being seen, feeling every single person pass through him as though he did not exist. It was the loneliest feeling in the world. Looking back, he remembered seeing stark grief on their faces. Jack felt moisture gather in his eyes when he thought about what his parents went through after learning that he'd fallen through that ice.

He heard a soft jingling come from his stomach. Jack frowned in confusing and looked down, seeing his sweater pocket move. "Noelle," he nearly shouted with a jolt. He'd almost forgotten her! He cleared his throat and called again, "Noelle, come out!"

It was her snowball! It had a similar effect to his snowballs, except he was _remembering_ happiness rather than being spurred to play. Jack laughed with excitement at the knowledge of his daughter having her own unique ability.

Noelle finally peered out, her face sad and worried. Jack guessed that she thought something was wrong with him. He'd probably been staring vacantly into space, not responding. He smiled reassuringly and said, "Hey, it's okay! I'm fine, kiddo." He stroked her head with his fingers, feeling her relax as she crawled out of his pocket. Jack lifted her in his cupped hand and brought her to his eye-level. He was staring at her, just taking in her beauty and the magic she represented.

"I get it now," he exclaimed. "Even your powers are a mixture of mine and Tooth's! She's the Guardian of Memories and I'm the Guardian of Joy! When you hit someone with a snowball, you make them remember snowdays! Christmas, Easter, a coin from Tooth…whatever made them happy!" Jack was exhilarated at the proof of Noelle's uniqueness. She truly was his and Toothiana's daughter! Noelle was slowly beginning to smile, seeing how happy her father was.

Jack laughed and clutched her close to him in a modified hug, her jingles peals of happiness. "Come on," he said. "Your mom's busy, but I have _got_ to tell North how incredible you are!"

He called the wind for a ride to the Pole, Noelle clutching to his hair. She shook with excitement when she saw North's workshop, and immediately zoomed into the landing platform.

Jack went in after her, expecting to see the workshop filled with working Yetis. There were only a couple of weeks left until Christmas, and the Yetis were dedicated workers. The place was indeed busy, dozens of the imposing creatures moving back and forth between stations with mountains of toys in their arms. Noelle was captivated by the flurry of movement, but froze when she caught sight of the globe. The lights were blinking steadily, reassuring Jack that he and his fellow Guardians were still believed in. Noelle pointed to the globe and jingled questioningly.

Jack turned to the globe and explained, "Every light stands for a kid who still believes in North, your mom, Bunny, Sandy…and me. It's up to us to protect them from nightmares or anything that puts their innocence in danger." He put his hand on the wooden balcony, tightening his grasp when he thought of Pitch.

"Oi! You looking for North, Frost?"

Turning towards the voice, Jack was surprised to see Bunnymund walking towards him, holding a pair of elves by their pointed hats. Noelle quickly flew to float between the six-foot-one rabbit and Jack, her sharp beak glinting dangerously. Jack chuckled and said, "At ease, kiddo. It's just Bunny. Fancy seeing you here on Christmas, friend!"

Bunny shrugged and dropped the wriggling elves. "Yeah well, those two were messing about in the Warren, trying to steal eggs for cookie ingredients! Had to bring 'em back and complain to North, but all he did was laugh it off and work on another ice train set."

At the words "ice train set," Noelle jingled with excitement and shot off towards North's private workshop. Bunnymund stared after her, an eyebrow raised, and muttered, "Curious little nose biter. So, what brings _you_ to the Pole?"

Jack leaned on his staff and answered, "Well, Noelle and I were just hanging out in Jamie's town and I thought I'd see what she could do." His eyes glowed with the unbelievable memory. "Bunny, it's…awesome! Her snowballs can bring back memories of joy! The memory she showed me…i-it was…so _clear!" _

Bunnymund's nodded in understanding. "I've got to admit, that's impressive. Then again she has to be, being Tooth's kid." He brought a large paw up to rub the back of his neck. "Uh, listen, Frost—Jack. I've been meaning to talk to you about this whole business, but you left in a hurry yesterday."

"Yeah, well…I wasn't exactly eager for you to have me in a headlock."

"What I mean to say is…Crikey, I can't get this together…" The Easter Bunny inhaled deeply and said, "Look. Tooth and I, we go _way_ back. Further than either of us cares to remember. She's been a great friend, and we both agree that she's something special."

Jack raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the rabbit. "Uh-huh."

Bunnymund groaned and went on, "Point is…you'd better do right by her and that nipper."

The younger Guardian smirked and put his free hand on his chest. "Hey, come on, Bunny! Of course I will! I wouldn't do anything to-"

"I'm not kidding, mate," Bunnymund firmly interrupted. "You're lucky Tooth loves you, for whatever reason. She deserves something back after all the centuries of work she's put on these kids."

Jack sighed and let the smile melt off his face. He knew in his heart that he would never do anything to hurt Toothiana. He looked up at Bunnymund and said, without any wordplay or tricks up his sleeve, "I swear to the Moon that I'm not going to do anything to ruin this." He let all of his conviction show on his face as he continued, "Bunny, everything changed when I took the Oath. I was part of something bigger than myself. Tooth is so amazing, and I feel great whenever I'm with her." He smiled, thinking about waking up in her nest with her arms around him. "Now that Noelle's here I'm even surer that I want us all to stay together."

Bunnymund gazed down at him, sighing in acceptance. "I really hope so, Frost. I know we had our differences these last three-hundred years, but I have to admit…You sure know how to make Tooth smile."

They stood there, suddenly uncomfortably. Jack cleared his throat loudly and asked, "So…what stopped you from…" He trailed off, raising his eyebrows as though it should be obvious what he was talking about.

"Oh! Well…like I said, Tooth's a good friend. I would try and work up the nerve but end up worrying about where we would be if something went wrong. We Guardians need to work in harmony to keep everything shipshape." He shrugged and added, "I guess it wasn't meant to be. I just hope you're up to it, Frost."

Jack chuckled and said, "You know me, Bunny! I'm up for anything the Moon can dish out."

"Yeah, so says the man who nearly fainted when that little nipper showed up."

They laughed, for once not at odds or teasing.


	4. Fairy Mishaps

**The semester is over! Praise the Moon! And I have updated! More thanks for the reviews and ideas you've all sent in. If there are any BBC Sherlock fans among you, please feel free to check out my friend PickeBicke's in-progress story, _The Nine Lives of Sherlock Holmes_. It's wonderful!**

**I'd also love to see any Noelle or Snow Fairy-related art that's floating around out there! Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Memories of joy?" Toothiana's head feathers lifted in wonder as Jack told her about Noelle's ability, the little snow fairy riding through the air in the toy ice-plane North sculpted for her. The Fairy and Jack sat by the spring where, the water freezing along the shoreline where he sat cross legged. The mountain peaks were covered in a thin layer of snow, but Toothiana had assured Jack that it was normal for that time of year. After Jack and Noelle returned from the Pole, the infant flying in her newly-acquired toy, the young Guardian ecstatically told the Tooth Fairy what Noelle had made him experience, and North's reaction.

"It was incredible," Jack went on as he gestured to their daughter. "Even North's never seen anything like it! Two Guardians _combined!_" He turned to her, wide-eyed with wonder and surprise. "It was so _real_, Tooth. For a second I didn't know whether I was really in Burgess. And it was all Noelle."

The Fairy nodded understandingly and asked, "Was the memory as vivid as the ones from your teeth?" She was astonished by the depth of Noelle's ability, and how it was essentially a combination of hers and Jack's gifts.

Jack nodded and replied, "Completely. Tooth, if you'd seen the size of that snowball…" He shook his head in disbelief, blue eyes glowing with emotion. Even hours after experiencing the memory, Jack was still struck dumb by how powerful it had been.

Toothiana smiled to see Jack so excited. She knew how precious his memories were to him. "…Are you alright, though? I know your sister meant a lot to you."

He smiled with a soft chuckle and said, "I'm alright. I mean…it's not like I don't remember her every time I see a kid." He stared towards the sky, where Toothiana's fairies congregated around the seven continental columns. "Baby Tooth, Noelle, Jamie, and Sophie…They all remind me of her."

They suddenly started at the sound of frantic chattering from above and looked up to see the ice-plane glide through the Africa column, a flock of outraged fairies chirping after Noelle. "Uh-oh…Noelle," Toothiana called urgently. "Come down here! The fairies are very busy!"

The frost spirit beside her chuckled with amusement at Noelle's spirited troublemaking and Toothiana's gentle scolding. "Yeah, I know. She takes after me. And what can I say? I'm proud of her!"

She gave him a slightly disapproving glance, but he looked so self-satisfied that she had to laugh. They both looked up when the tinkling propellers approached, and Toothiana felt her feathers bristle with sudden worry when she wondered how on earth Noelle was going to land that thing. She grasped Jack's shoulder and gasped, "Jack, bring her here! The wind…Something!"

Jack glanced at her and seemed to grasp the source of her fear when he saw no sign of Noelle stopping as she flew the toy towards them. "Wind, bring Noelle down," he firmly shouted, quickly adding, "_Slowly!"_

A gust of wind traveled through the ToothPalace, wrapping itself around the plane and making it stop in midair. Noelle jingled in surprise, peering down at her parents and wondering why her toy stopped moving.

Toothiana sighed in relief, her feathers flattening against her skin once again as Noelle and her plane floated down on the surprisingly gentle wind Jack had summoned. Jack smiled as he brought his hands up in time to catch the plane. He held it carefully as Noelle crawled out of the miniature pilot seat, shaking her wings and flying towards Toothiana. She let her daughter land on the palm of her hand, smiling lovingly as Noelle tinkled questioningly. Jack too looked relieved as he knelt beside Toothiana, smirking as he leaned his forehead against his staff. He gently elbowed the Fairy and said, "You were actually worried for a second!"

She answered defensively, "Well, I can't help it! I worry about every fairy, and…Noelle's so young compared to them." She brought Noelle closer to her chest cradling her with great gentleness. Jack smiled at the sight, completely aware that Noelle reminded Toothiana of any human child.

Toothiana giggled softly as Noelle pressed closer to her chest. "Oh Jack, I absolutely love her…I look at her and just want to make sure nothing ever hurts her. I know Guardians feel that way about every child, but…She's _ours_ Jack."

He chuckled, watching Toothiana and their daughter embrace. "I know. I still can't believe it. Who would've thought that I, Mr. Snowballs and Fun Times, would ever be a dad, of all things. Settled down with a…" His eyes darted towards Toothiana his throat closing when he tried to find the right word. Cold shot up to Jack's cheeks as he rubbed his neck self-consciously. "Uh…domestic partner."

Toothiana raised an eyebrow at him, smirking as he smiled back nervously. "How touching," she said flatly. "I think I'll preen now."

Jack's eyebrows flew up. "Preen?"

"Mhm." She got to her feet, taking Noelle with her as she stepped into the pool. Jack quickly backed away to let the water warm up, but Toothiana didn't seem to mind breaking through the thin film of ice. She bent down to cup some water in her palm and slowly let it trickle over Noelle, laughing as the little fairy jingled in surprise at the unfamiliar sensation of wetness.

Jack couldn't help but stare silently as Toothiana poured water on her shoulders, her feathers glistening in the moonlight. He loved to touch those feathers and feel how soft they were. Soft as freshly fallen snow. Her wings were flapping so quickly he could only see a faint pink blur that created the illusion of a thin rose-colored veil that came between him and Toothiana. Just watching her made Jack's heart race and his lungs stop working as his eyes drank in her every graceful move beneath the canopy of color. She was lovelier than moonlight, chasing every dark thought away and bringing only beauty.

He smiled when she turned around to look at him, amusement flickering on her face. _Is she saying something…?_

Cold water splashed his face, making Jack exclaim in surprise and splutter as he was soaked. He looked at Toothiana, who was doubled over with breathless laughter. Noelle was jingling loudly and wavering in the air, snow falling in every direction as she moved. Toothiana panted, "You…were practically _drooling!_"

Jack retorted as cold flooded his face, "I…I was not!" He pushed his slick hair back, eyes narrowing in a dangerous gaze. "But if you like playing games…" He smiled at his prey before sauntering towards the pool, staff in hand.

Toothiana's eyes widened. "Oh, no. No, no, _no,_ Jack!" She and Noelle took off, but not before Jack slapped the pool's surface, sending a torrent of droplets after the older Fairy. She squealed when the icy drops hit, and shot back towards the pool to splash the Frost spirit back. "Now you're going to get it," Toothiana declared devilishly as she pulled her palm through the water to throw a fistful at Jack.

He shielded himself, freezing the water in mid-air before it reached him. He grinned at her triumphantly and said, "Look at it this way. You lose, but you still get to see me smile."

A blush spread across Toothiana's cheeks. Jack's smile was her weakness, her heart warming whenever she saw his perfectly white teeth. "You've got me there. At least I managed to strike first, right?" She giggled at Jack's still-dripping hair.

Suddenly she tensed and flew up, faintly hearing Noelle jingle with surprise. Toothiana could sense a child placing a tooth beneath their pillow at that very moment. "Bottom right canine in Burgess," she speedily said. "It's Cupcake's last one!"

Usually Toothiana would feel a sense of loss when faced with collecting a child's last milk tooth, but Cupcake was as much a believer as Jamie, fervently holding on to the dreams Sandy sent her.

She had an idea when she saw Noelle flutter excitedly out of the corner of her eye. "Jack, I think this is the one I'll let Noelle take care of." She glanced at her daughter ecstatically as Jack looked at her in surprise. "Her first tooth! It's going to be perfect!"

The air was cut by a furious chirp. Baby Tooth flew down to float a foot from Toothiana's face, gesticulating at Noelle while chirping angrily. Toothiana stared back in surprise while Jack chuckled, "Guess we've got a case of sibling rivalry on our hands."

Toothiana brought her hand to her head and said, "Well no wonder she's been acting differently! Baby Tooth, are you really jealous?" She gently poked the miniature fairy's forehead, a deep frown settling on her brow. "Tell you what. Why don't you, me, and Noelle go together. Then you can show her how it's done!"

Baby Tooth chirped in surprise and then glared at Noelle. The newborn glared back, her blue eyes flashing defiantly.

Jack added as he flew up to join them, "Hey, c'mon kiddo. You can actually learn a lot from your big sister here. After all, Baby Tooth _did_ help me get my memories back." He glanced at the fairy, who seemed to puff up at his look of praise.

Noelle frowned, not really liking the idea of letting the mean fairy cut in with her time with her mother. She also didn't like how close Baby Tooth and her father seemed

"It's settled then," Toothiana declared. "Let's head out!"

* * *

Jack went off on his own to start a snowfall in Nebraska, leaving the three fairies alone. Toothiana flew behind the two smaller fairies, making sure they were getting along. Baby Tooth was ahead, flying with purpose. Noelle was trying to keep up while peering down at the familiar town.

"Daddy brought you here, today huh?"

Noelle nodded, her eyes lighting up with excitement. She'd gathered from the not-as-mean fairies that her mother had an important job. She collected children's teeth, which held their childhood memories. Her mother's job was to guard those memories, and return them to the kids whenever they needed them.

She was determined to do a good job collecting her first tooth and not disappoint her mother. She'd show that meanie Baby Tooth!

A golden cloud of sand floated miles above them, bright tendrils snaking their way down to Burgess. A rotund figure sat at the center of the cloud, hands aloft as he controlled the golden lines that led towards individual houses. The fairies flew up to the cloud, Toothiana waving to the Sandman in greeting. "Hi, Sandy!"

Sandman smiled widely and waved back, winking at the two miniature fairies. Noelle gazed down at the various lines of sand, her eyes following a particular one down towards that one house that contained the tooth they searched for.

Baby Tooth flew to join Noelle, chirping resolutely, _"You just sit back and watch, newbie. I'll take care of this tooth."_

Noelle rang back with a frown, _"Mom said this was **my** first tooth!"_

_"Fat chance!"_

"You two," Toothiana chided gently from behind them. "If you don't stop acting like a couple of cavities, I'll send you both home. Baby Tooth." She turned her serious gaze to the older fairy, who looked back attentively. "There's an incisor in the next town over. I'm going after it so I want _you_ and Noelle to fetch this one!" She pointed towards Cupcake's house, which was surrounded by millions of golden butterflies.

"And I want you to be extremely careful. Once you have the tooth, come back here and wait with Sandy. He'll make sure Cupcake doesn't wake up. Noelle, do you have your coin?"

The blue fairy nodded, conjuring up a dazzling silver coin out of thin air.

"Perfect! I'm going now. _Be careful, girls."_ Toothiana fixed them both with a strict stare before turning back to fly in the other direction.

Noelle heard Baby Tooth's excited trill, turning to find that the other fairy had gone off without her. _"Hey! Come back here!"_ She shot off after her, clutching the coin tightly in her small hands.

They followed the golden tendril down to the window and passed through the glass. Noelle stared at the room in astonishment. Everything was so…pink. The rosy-colored walls were covered in pictures of unicorns, in every color. Noelle looked at the girl in the bed, surprised by how big she was. The girl was broad-faced and looked completely at peace. The sandy figures above her cantered playfully, a smile spreading on the girl's features.

_"Come on, look for the tooth already," _Baby Tooth chirped impatiently.

The frost fairy moved beside the pillow, and slowly burrowed her way under it. She felt the girl squirm above her, and froze for a moment. But Cupcake merely sighed and stilled again, giving Noelle the chance to reach the canine. Her small fingers grasped it and quickly pulled it out, and she deftly replaced it with her coin. Noelle backed out of the pillow, bringing the canine out with her and lifting it up for a better view.

The canine was slightly yellowed, but there was no sign of rot or severe wearing down. It felt so heavy in Noelle's hands, laden with powerful memories.

_"Okay," _Baby Tooth chirruped. _"Let's get outside before she wakes up."_

Noelle nodded and followed the fairy outside, feeling as though she would burst with pride. _"I can't wait to show this to Daddy!"_

The older fairy frowned and said, _"No way. We're taking that tooth straight to Cupcake's box. Now give it here." _She reached over to take the tooth, but Noelle quickly pulled it away.

The snow fairy jingled angrily, _"Hey, I found it! I can put it away!"_

_"You might drop it!"_

_"No I won't!"_

Baby Tooth sped towards her, trying to grab the tooth but missing by inches. _"Quit playing around, you cavity!"_

_"I will if you catch me!"_ Noelle stuck her tongue out at Baby Tooth before zooming off towards the forest, clutching the tooth closely. Riling Baby Tooth was proving to be far too entertaining, and Noelle was not going to let her have _her_ prize that easily.

The older fairy, however, was chirping fearfully, _"Noelle, come back here! You can't go in there!"_ They'd left the town far behind them, and were now approaching the nearly frozen lake where Jack Frost had been reborn. As soon as Noelle flew over it, the ice hardened completely. She looked back over her shoulder and jingled mockingly, _"You can't get me! Ha-ha-ha-ha—OW!" _She crashed into a thick tree trunk, the tooth slipping from her fingers. Noelle dizzily tumbled onto a branch and quickly held on to it until her head stopped pounding.

Baby Tooth chirped in terror as she flew towards Noelle. _"Are you okay!? Did you get hurt? Can you move your wings?"_

Noelle looked up, a bit confused and surprised, and replied, _"Y-yeah…"_ She gave her wings a quick flutter, relieved that she could at least fly.

_"Where's the tooth!?"_

Both fairies froze in horror when they realized the tooth was nowhere to be found. _"I dropped it," _Noelle said fearfully. She immediately glanced down to the ground, and spotted a hole directly below them. She threw all of her sensory power towards it, and it was indeed there! _"Come on, we can find it!"_ She flew down, but was yanked back by a sharp pull on her wings.

Baby Tooth shrilly cried, _"Are you crazy!? Pitch Black lives there! He hates the Guardians! If he knew whose daughter you were-"_

Noelle desperately replied, _"He won't know! He won't even realize we're there! The tooth is the most important thing here, right?! You can stay up here, if you want, but I'm going after that tooth. It's my fault it's down there-"_

_"No way,"_ Baby Tooth chirped firmly. _"Toothiana trusted me to keep you out of trouble. The least I can do is make sure you get out of there in one piece." _

The fairies nodded in agreement, and turned to face the deep hole below them. Noelle inched closer, a brief rush of cold air hitting her. She was used to cold, but this small gust left her heart chilled. Her small hands suddenly felt clammy with fear. _"…B-B-Baby Tooth…?"_

There was no answer. Noelle turned and saw the other fairy stiff with terror in mid-air. Her mismatched eyes were round as she stared at the hole, and she was breathing hard. Noelle was surprised. She never thought she'd see the meanest fairy of the bunch afraid of something.

_…I'm scared too…_

She glanced into the darkness, too afraid to keep going. _"…Dad and Mom wouldn't be afraid. They'd go in there and find that tooth."_ Noelle took a deep breath and closed her eyes, concentrating on her small collection of memories from the past few days.

_Jack and Toothiana were laughing as Noelle flew above them, the two of them sitting beside the glittering globe on the day she was born. North guffawed loudly when Noelle gave Bunnymund a sharp peck on the shoulder. She'd only been curious about the furry creature. She hadn't known he would jump so high. _

_She was waking up, safely tucked under her father's hand. Her mother was hugging her father from behind, still deeply asleep in that warm darkness. Jack had sighed contentedly as he pressed closer to Toothiana's body. Noelle had felt so safe and happy, knowing that these two, the most precious people in her life, loved her. _

Those memories chased the fear away, and Noelle could move again. She opened her eyes and quickly flew to Baby Tooth, taking the other's hands in hers. _"Come on. Don't be scared," _she tinkled softly.

She shared her courage with the older fairy, and Baby Tooth sighed tremblingly after a moment. _"Okay…Let's go…"_

They made their way through the darkness, still chilled by the aura of fear surrounding them. Noelle quietly asked, _"You're really scared of Pitch Black, aren't you?"_

Baby Tooth whispered, _"He took my sisters and held them all prisoner. Because of him, Toothiana nearly disappeared because kids stopped believing in her. No one was collecting the teeth. But Jack and the other Guardians helped her. Then…Pitch Black ended up catching me and used me to hurt Jack. But Jack saved my life and I helped him remember who he was."_

Noelle jingled curiously, _"But…wasn't he always Jack Frost?"_

_"No, he was human. Remember the lake we passed over? He fell through thin ice after saving his little sister. The Moon chose him to be a protector of kids because of that. It took him a long time to figure it out."_

Noelle felt a surge of pride and love for her father. No wonder Baby Tooth adored him.

They reached the bottom, a light penetrating the darkness. Noelle slowly flew in, trying to be as quiet as possible. She entered the area and her eyes widened when she found what was inside.

Cages. Thousands of cages. Cages that had held the other fairies.

_"The tooth,"_ Baby Tooth chirped. She flew to the ground and quickly grabbed it, clutching it close to her chest. _"Let's get out of here before-"_

"**_You're_**_ **doomed**…_"

The wind howled, making the fairies gasp with terror. The large room suddenly darkened, Noelle reaching out for Baby Tooth in the blackness.

Someone was growling lowly, their voice leaping off the walls and ringing in the fairies' ears. "**_You should never have come…"_**

They heard soft nickers in front of them. Noelle felt a stab of fear in her chest, but wasn't about to let it petrify her again.

_"**I can feel your fear, little fairies. Don't try to HIDE IT!"**_

The last word was a roar. A sharp gust blew the fairies back into the hole, and they immediately flew back. But something was grasping after them. They heard galloping and sped up, Noelle so afraid they were going to drag her back down into that terrible darkness. She heard Baby Tooth chirp encouragingly, _"Hurry! We're almost out!"_

Noelle caught sight of a small dot of light above them. Her heart soared as she flew towards it, feeling braver as the light grew brighter. She could feel the moonlight on her face and smell the night air.

The fresh air hit their faces, and the creatures behind them whinnied in terror. The fairies trilled with relief as they emerged from the earth, tooth safely in hand. Noelle looked down and saw that the shadowy creatures had retreated from the light.

The horrible chill went away, replaced by the pure cold that her father had laid down. She let his joy surround her, and breathed in the crisp scent of the forest around them. Noelle turned to find Baby Tooth panting as she examined the canine. _"It's safe…Oh, thank the Moon!" _The older fairy looked up at Noelle and suddenly sped over to her, clasping the newborn closely. _"You're safe too!"_

Noelle tensed in surprise. Baby Tooth was…_hugging_ her. _"…You're not mad at me for dropping it?"_

Baby Tooth held on to her and replied, _"A little…But you're not going to do it again, right?"_

The snow fairy nodded, not wanting to risk a precious tooth like that again. _"…But you're going to tell Tooth."_

They finally separated, Baby Tooth gazing at her with an unfathomable expression. _"…I know sisters are supposed to tell on each other, but I think I'll let this one slide. After all, sisters **should** have some secrets!" _She winked at Noelle with a bright smile.

Noelle's jaw dropped open. _"Sisters?! Oh, Baby Tooth!" _She jingled with delight as she enveloped the fairy in a tight hug, the tooth squeezed between them.

They giggled playfully before Baby Tooth looked up at the golden cloud in the sky. _"Come on. I think Toothiana isn't back yet."_ They flew back towards Burgess, gliding easily in the night air with the moon floating over them.

Sandy turned towards them as they approached, smiling welcomingly when they landed. Baby Tooth looked at the tooth in her hands and handed it to Noelle. _"Here. It's your first tooth, and I think you should put it in the box."_

Noelle's wings fluttered gleefully as she took the tooth back. She made a solemn promise then and there: She would never treat a tooth like a plaything ever again.

Minutes later Toothiana's colorful form flew towards them. She smiled happily when she saw the two fairies sitting side by side, Noelle clutching the canine. "How did it go? Did you remember to leave the coin?"

Baby Tooth nodded with pride, letting Noelle present the tooth to her mother. Toothiana's eyes glowed as she took the tooth and Noelle in her hands. "Oh…Cupcake's last one…and your first tooth, Noelle! I'm so proud of you!" She bent down to press a kiss to her child's forehead.

The little fairy felt a cool flush in her cheeks. Toothiana turned to Baby Tooth and gave her tiny cheek a loving stroke. "Thank you for keeping an eye on her, Baby Tooth! You deserve a kiss too." She kissed the fairy's cheek, Baby Tooth looking as though it were the happiest moment of her life.

Noelle and Baby Tooth flew together in front of Toothiana's watchful eye. The Guardian was glad that they seemed to put their differences aside for the tooth collection. _I can't wait to tell Jack!_


	5. Mourning

**For the children of Newtown, Connecticut.**

* * *

Jack Frost and Toothiana had gone to their shared nest that evening after watching Noelle place Cupcake's tooth in her box. The flock of fairies had chattered proudly when the newest fairy carefully put the canine in its rightful place, among the rest of the girl's milk teeth. She seemed to glow with happiness as the fairies and her parents smiled at her encouragingly.

She immediately flew to join the rest of the fairies that night, eager to spend time with her sisters, leaving Jack and Toothiana by themselves that night.

They sat across from each other for about an hour, Jack recounting a particularly eventful snowball fight in which an entire group of kindergarten students in Ohio had organized a snow barrage against their teachers.

The Fairy laughed as she tried to imagine the scene. "I'm pretty sure you loved watching it!"

Jack shrugged with a mischievous grin and said, "I might've joined in a bit. Never could stay away from a good snowball fight."

They were both so exhausted after such an eventful, Noelle-filled day. Jack lay down, clasping Toothiana's small hand in his.

They got up early the next day, Jack emerging and seeing the fairy flock flitting back and forth between the columns. He quickly picked out Noelle from the rainbow of green and pink, seeing that she was avidly watching the fairies go about their job organizing the teeth and the pickups. Toothiana had never named the fairies, somehow knowing them each in her own way. But Jack could only see them as identical, save for Baby Tooth due to her mismatched eyes. He took it upon himself to name a few who approached him, such as Mini Tooth, Tiny Tooth, Bitsy Tooth, and so on. There were just so many!

The little blue fairy lit up as soon as she saw Jack below her.

She flew down to him and started jingling in greeting, but Jack placed his finger on his lips. "Shh. Keep it down! Your mom's still asleep in there."

Noelle nodded dutifully and fell silent. Jack flicked her beak approvingly and whispered, "What do you say we fly down to Burgess today? There's some kids there who I think would love to meet you." He was referring to Jamie and Sophie, who would no doubt be enchanted by his and Tooth's daughter.

The snow fairy let out an excited jingle and spun down to fly out of the palace. The Guardian chuckled softly as he followed her, finding himself reminded of Toothiana's excitable nature. The fairies above chirped farewells, sending them off to that special town.

Burgess was covered in snow, roads teeming with snowplows and people milling about with shovels. Jack flew over it all, Noelle watching with fascination as frost patterns grew on windows when they passed by. They neared the residential areas, where worried-looking parents held fast to their children's hands as they walked home together.

Jack frowned, noting how a particular father was closely hugging his young son, tears in his eyes. "Wonder what's going on…"

He put it out of his mind when he caught sight of Jamie and Noelle, constructing a snow-man in their yard. Jack called out to them as Noelle hung back shyly, "Hey, you two! Staying out of trouble, right?"

The two children looked up in recognition, wide smiles appearing on their faces. Jamie shouted, "Jack, it's you! You finally came back!"

The Guardian landed in front of them, kneeling opening his arms to hug the children tightly. Sophie exclaimed gleefully, "Jack back! Jack back!" Her green eyes widened with surprise when she caught sight of Noelle, who was peeking her head out from Jack's hood. It was one thing to watch a sleeping child, but these two were awake. And they could see her.

Sophie pointed to her and said, "Pretty blue fairy! Pretty blue fairy!"

Jack peered over his shoulder, grinning when he saw Noelle try to hide. He asked the children, "So you two can see her?"

Jamie nodded, fascinated. "Yeah! She looks like the Tooth Fairy, except…well, she's _blue!"_

Noelle allowed her father to gently pull her out of his hood, but hid behind his fingers as she sat in his cold palm. Jack explained, "Well, she's…mine and Tooth's daughter. Jamie and Sophie, meet Noelle. Noelle, say hi to Jamie and Sophie!"

The boy's jaw dropped in surprise. "…Guardians can have _kids!?_ Wow!" He brought a hand up to carefully touch the fairy's head crest. Noelle flinched slightly, but relaxed when she felt Jamie's gentle touch. She looked up at him bashfully, seeing his kind smile, and noting that half of his teeth were his permanent set.

Sophie giggled when Noelle lifted off from Jack's hand, seeing the snow her wings released and hearing the bells. She clapped enthusiastically, making Noelle glow with pride. Jamie asked Jack, "What else can she do? Does she collect teeth?"

Jack replied, "Yeah, she collected her first one yesterday. And she can make you remember something that made you happy."

"That's so cool! Can she try it on me?"

The white-haired Guardian glanced at Noelle, who nodded vigorously and blew a miniature snowball in her palms. She aimed it carefully and threw it at Jamie's face, the boy blinking with surprise as his vision went blank. Jack, Noelle, and Sophie watched him carefully.

A moment passed before Jamie smiled. He was staring out into space but he was laughing at whatever memory he was experiencing. Jack was curious as to what it was.

Jamie blinked some more and finally returned to normal, and he gazed at Jack with pleasant shock. "It was…the Christmas when we got Abby! She was in my stocking! It happened when I was four, but it felt like new! That's so cool!"

Jack grinned as Noelle did an overjoyed loop beside him. Best of all, the children could _see_ her. She wouldn't experience the pain of being completely transparent or feeling a child pass right through her.

Noelle was flying over Sophie, letting the snow rain on top of the excited little girl, when their mother frantically called from inside the house, "Jamie! You and Sophie come inside right now!"

The Guardian could hear the tears in her voice. He frowned in confusion and got to his feet, Noelle flying back to his shoulder and waving goodbye to the kids.

Sophie called as she ran inside, "Bye-bye, No-no!"

"See ya, Jack! Say hi to Santa Claus for me! And I want a _red_ bike for Christmas!"

Jack laughed and replied, "Will do!" He took off towards the sky, but something pulled his attention northward. The borealis beacon was bright in the afternoon sky, glaring with urgency. He glanced at his daughter, who looked as surprised as he was. They took a gale of wind to the Pole, Jack's mind racing with thoughts.

He could never have imagined what news greeted him. None of the Guardians could.

Bunnymund gravely explained that something had happened to a group of schoolchildren in a certain American town.

"…Kids, Jack. Little kids…Around Sophie's age…" The rabbit's voice broke, and he had to cover his face with a paw.

Jack could only stare back in silent horror, unconsciously reaching for his shoulder to touch Noelle. Six-year olds, killed without a second thought in the supposed safety of their school. "…N-no…Bunny, it…it can't be…! Who would..." His eyes moistened and a lump grew in his throat. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't accept that this had actually happened. "For-For Moon's sake, Bunny! They were _kids! Babies!_" Jack was breathing hard, close to sobbing. Noelle held on to him, so scared and not completely understanding why he was so upset. He was clutching his staff, the tip sparking dangerously.

The Guardian of Hope sighed raggedly and said, "I know, mate…I know…"

Jack and Noelle looked up at the sound of fluttering wings. Toothiana and Sandy were flying out of North's workshop, shutting the door behind them. The Sandman's eyes were closed, a crease in his usually smooth forehead. Toothiana's eyes were rimmed with red, and she was still sobbing softly. She looked up and saw Jack, immediately flying towards him.

They wrapped their arms around each other, the Fairy weeping into Jack's shoulder. Noelle floated beside them, frightened and wondering why her parents and their friends were so sad. And where was North? Surely the big man would say something to make everyone feel better.

Toothiana straightened and searched for Noelle, eyes brimming with love when she found her and reaching for her. The tiny fairy flew into her mother's hand, hugging her fingers. It seemed to comfort Toothiana, who was still clutching to Jack. The frost Guardian did not seem to want to let her go either.

"North's devastated," Toothiana said tearfully. "He could barely speak. All he said was…that their Christmas is ruined. How can they celebrate after everything they saw? How afraid they were? How can they ever see wonder in anything…?" She covered her mouth as a hiccupping sob threatened to escape.

They all gazed up at the globe, millions of lights still glowing faithfully. That particular area was flickering with doubt and fear. It hurt them to see it. The source of that fear hurt them the most.

It was their job to protect children's innocence. To guard their happiness, dreams, hopes, wonder, and memories. They also tried to protect the children from coming to any harm, but they'd learned long ago that it wasn't always possible. The children were far more than their sources of power. They were the people they held deep in their hearts. Each of them adored children for their innocence, and tried to preserve it as long as they could for the children's sake. To help them face life's harsh realities.

But these children had seen too much. And the children who had died had their innocence torn from them. They were the ones who were supposed to be immune to such violence.

Jack could hardly bear the anger he was feeling. He could hardly find a word insulting enough to describe the one who committed this abomination. He detached himself from Toothiana and ran out, his teeth gritting.

A sob built in Jack's throat as he ran into the snowy mountains, far from North's workshop. So many scenes flowed in his mind, each one more terrible than the last. He panted, glaring at the ground and tightening his shaky grasp on the staff. _Those kids…Those kids, he…_

He wondered what it would have been like if it had been Jamie, Sophie, or Noelle. Their beautiful lives cut short.

Something in him snapped.

Jack shot straight up into the air, and shouted his fury to the winds. He swung his staff, a beam of ice freezing the snow that flew up in his wake. They formed into terrifying ice peaks, sharp and cold. His anger in that moment was unmatched, far greater than when Pitch had tried to instill his Nightmares in the children. A human committed this monstrosity, and Jack couldn't stop it. _He couldn't stop it._

He stared at the moon, filled with so much anger and hatred for the one responsible. "What's the point? What am I supposed to _do…?"_

"Jack!"

He spun around, seeing Toothiana floating a few feet away. Her eyes were wide with trepidation as she approached him, and Jack was struggling to find his voice.

He asked hoarsely, "Where's Noelle…?"

Toothiana seemed relieved when she replied, "With North. I thought that he needed her more right now."

Jack could only stare at her, feeling as though he were going to shatter into a million pieces. "I…Tooth…If I could go back and do something…"

"I know…" She had flown closer, laying a loving hand on his cheek.

"We're Guardians, Tooth! We're supposed to keep them safe…! I feel…so _angry!_ I'm angry at that monster. Most of all, I'm angry because we couldn't do anything to stop it!" He let the tears fall, the drops cold on Toothiana's hand. "I gave my life for my sister, but I couldn't do _something_ for these kids!"

His shoulders shaking, Jack fell back into Toothiana's arms, letting her hold on to him and feeling her comforting warmth. "…They're _gone_, Tooth…They were so little…" He hid his face in the junction between her neck and shoulder, grief melting away his anger.

"I know, Jack. I'm angry too." She shut her eyes, breathing deeply to regain her composure. "…We can't do anything for the ones who are gone. They'll…never be afraid again, or in pain. But what we _can_ do is help the ones who survived."

Jack lifted his face, staring at her somewhat hopeful face.

She went on encouragingly, "Whenever something bad happens it's the Guardians' job to make sure everyone keeps their innocence, especially the children. If there's no hope, joy, or wonder, what is there to live for? North's going to work five times as hard this year to give those kids and their families a happy Christmas. Bunny's going to paint some pebbles instead of eggs and leave them everywhere until Christmas Eve, Sandy will give them good dreams, I'll help them remember happier times…and you can help them _feel_ happy again."

The younger Guardian looked at her with uncertainty. "…How do we know if it'll work?"

"We have to at least try. We can't just leave them like this," she said with the wisdom of her centuries of life.

Jack looked down at the staff in his hands, knowing she was right. This was something he could do. Something within his power. He could help make sure those children could still feel happy even in the midst of terror and loss. He wiped his eyes and gazed at Toothiana with the full intensity of his blue eyes. "Let's start."

That night, the sky glowed with Sandman's golden dreams. Bunnymund and North were hard at work in the Warren and the Pole, making sure their gifts would fill the children with hope and wonder.

Toothiana had touched the children's boxes, willing them to release their purest memories. Jack had flown above the town, raining down beautiful, individual snowflakes that slowly floated down towards a child. Noelle followed her father, silent as the severity of the situation finally sank in. She knew her close presence reassured Jack, so she stuck close to him.

Eventually Toothiana joined them, and they flew up to sit beside Sandy as his fingers danced over the sand. Jack wrapped an arm around Toothiana's waist, her head resting on his shoulder. Noelle sat between them and watched the sand make its way down to the houses.

They had done what they could. It was up to the people below to do the rest.


	6. Boogeyman Triumphant

**An early Merry Christmas to everyone and Happy Holidays! I might not have a chance to update until after Christmas, so here's a tiny treat! My parents and I went shopping, so I grabbed ahold of the RoTG soundtrack. It is...glorious, and I had it on repeat as I was writing.**

**I want to thank everyone for their input and reviews for the last chapter. After the tragedy happened I was stunned and angry that someone would target innocent children, especially during this time of year. I wanted to express my anger, disbelief, and hope that the survivors will overcome this horror. Like Jack said, we all have a little Guardian in us, making sure that the innocent can remain so as long as possible, and help them keep that innocence in the long run. May the victims rest in peace, and may the survivors find joy, hope, and wonder. May they have good dreams and remember all of the good in the world.**

**I'd also like to point you all again to my friend, PickeBicke. She's helped me develop the story a bit further than I planned to fulfill some of your wishes. I think you know which ones! For now, enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

It was the morning of the 23rd of December, a day to prepare gifts and look forward to the fun surely coming in the next two days. It was always an exciting time of year, especially for an excitable fairy such as the ones in the Tooth Palace.

Noelle sat atop a dome next to Baby Tooth, watching her older sister make a miniature wreath. It was one of millions, identical to the other fairies' wreaths. Every Christmas the fairies donned the wreaths on their heads for the celebration at the Pole, wearing them when they needed to retrieve a tooth. The other fairies' wreaths were dotted with miniature poinsettias, brilliant red blooming against their dark green stems. Noelle's was dotted in frosted blue flowers, not at all like Baby Tooth's festive wreath.

The older fairy saw the dismay in her sister's face, and looked at the frosted wreath in her tiny hands. _"It's very pretty," _she tweeted encouragingly. _"And special. Everyone will know it's yours right away!"_

Noelle chimed softly and replied, _"I wanted it to look like yours, but everytime I touched the flowers they froze! The red ones look better. They match North…" _ She looked at her wreath dejectedly, wishing her petals weren't covered in the near-white blue frost. They'd looked so beautiful when they were red, just like the other flowers. Noelle had let the other fairies pick theirs out before going after hers. As soon as she touched them a thin layer of frost covered them, turning the flowers icy-blue.

Baby Tooth set her wreath aside and looked at Noelle's appreciatively. She didn't think there was anything wrong with the wreath. It was just different. It was only fitting, since Noelle was the only frost fairy in the flock. _"Look at it this way. Your flowers look more like stars than ours do! And see this bigger one here?" _She pointed to the largest flower. _"It looks like the full moon!"_

The snow fairy began to look at her wreath in a new light. The flowers did indeed look like the bright lights that dotted the night sky. Noelle had spent many an hour over the past week flying over snowy landscapes with her parents, marveling at how the white blanket could glimmer in both sunlight and moonlight. The wreath reminded her of that wonderful sight, and she smiled in eager acceptance. _"You're right, Baby Tooth! It IS pretty!" _

She snatched it back and placed it on her head like her sisters had shown her. _"How do I look?"_

_"Pretty as a snowflake!" _Baby Tooth took her hand and led her down to the inside of the column that housed the fairies, dotted with hundreds of small mirrors shared by the fairies. Baby Tooth and Noelle flew to an unoccupied one and looked into it, their reflections staring back.

Save for their colorings the two fairies looked alike in facial structure and size. Baby Tooth noticed that Noelle was beginning to control the thickness of the snow she released from her wings, at the moment producing a light dusting that evaporated in the air. If she could she easily could have summoned a small blizzard, but nothing like the storms Jack Frost could summon.

They posed in front of the mirror, Noelle smiling at how her feathers caught the light. She saw how the flowers in her wreath sparkled and caught the attention of the other fairies. They stared at her in awe, pointing at the crown of ice-blue flowers that rested on her head. Noelle saw the light blue blush on her cheeks and smiled bashfully. She flew off to find Jack and Toothiana, eager to show them what she'd made.

She peered down at the lower levels, knowing her parents enjoyed the occasional tranquility of the pool when they weren't off flying together. Noelle often wondered what they did when they were alone, and why it was so entertaining. She would catch Jack gazing at Toothiana while she was rapidly giving orders to the fairies, and even catch them kissing in some dark corner of the mountain, arms wrapped around each other and hands hidden from view.

Today she found them sitting by the pool, a small pouch by Toothiana. The fairy idly hovered above them to see if they noticed her. Usually Noelle was not quick enough to get away when they caught her spying on them, but she loved to see their surprised faces when they finally did notice her, and how quickly they broke apart, Jack hastily pulling his jacket back into place.

Her eyes grew round when her mother suddenly started pulling her father's jacket off.

Jack exclaimed from beneath the jacket, "Hey! Whoa, Tooth! I know I'm irresistible, but I hate being rushed!" She'd said she had a surprise for him, but he wasn't expecting an outright assault. The air hit his bare torso as she finally pulled the jacket off of him, the Fairy smiling triumphantly.

The two Guardians would fly off to some secluded spot whenever they had the chance to, relishing the touch of their eager lips. Jack's hands could be impatient yet gentle, and Toothiana's a bit demanding when she was particularly excited. The younger Guardian loved the feral gleam she would get in her eyes and the wild flutter of her wings as she came closer to him.

But at the moment Toothiana looked more interested in the jacket than in him. She was peering at the hood with purpose, and finally said, "Give me one second." She reached into the pouch beside her and brought out a long strip of what looked like white fur, along with a needle and thread. "What do you think?"

Jack was puzzled until he saw her measure the strip against the hood. "…That's for me?"

She nodded with a smile. "I thought I'd decorate the hood with this white fur lining, to signify your role as a Guardian. Plus you'd match the wooden troika North gave you. Do you like it?"

Jack gazed at her in surprise, a flicker of warmth settling in his heart. The jacket was something the Man in the Moon somehow provided for him on the night three decades before when Jack noticed that his old clothes were beginning to wear away. His old hunting cape—his father's—was long gone. Though Jack was invisible and did not mind the cold, he didn't exactly feel comfortable walking around wearing nothing. The blue jacket just appeared, hanging on a tree branch next to the lake in Burgess. Jack had felt a bit of hope that night, thinking that the Man in the Moon had sent him a message at long last, but there was none. Whenever he could get his mind off of his bitter anger and loneliness, Jack drew comfort from the warm material around him. It was something that kept him somewhat warm. Nothing too special, he thought.

But he could see that Toothiana wanted to add something lovely to it with her caring hand. It would symbolize the new phase in Jack's life: Guardian and Father.

"Yeah, I like…I love it." He brought his eyes to her brilliant lilac ones, and began to inch closer to her. "You know what else I love?"

She quickly saw the want in his eyes and backed away from him, only to collide with the stone wall. She giggled nervously, "Uh, Jack, _don't._" Toothiana knew that it was a fight she would not win. His smile was far too inviting.

He floated closer to her, his forehead touching hers as he said, "You," before grasping her arms and bending down to capture her lips.

Toothiana squealed with shock, keeping the needle away with one hand while bringing the other to thread through his soft hair. He kissed the corners of her mouth, her cheeks, and her neck. The Fairy's hands trembled as her free one traveled down his bare shoulder blades, and the needle slipped from her grasp.

She cried out beneath him, "Wait, Jack! I dropped the needle!"

He chuckled against her cheek, "So?"

"So, your hand might land on it!"

"Ah, like I'd notice. Where was I…?"

They froze when they heard a familiar jingle approach. Toothiana's eyes, closed in bliss, shot open at the sound, and Jack immediately straightened. Their daughter floated close by, the needle in her tiny hands. There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she flew to hand the object to Toothiana.

She took it back, glancing at Jack, who was still kneeling on top of her. "I swear, she gets her timing from you."

The pale young man smiled in defeat and said to Noelle, "What gives, kiddo? I was onto something!" His daughter jingled in amusement, knowing the effect her arrival had.

They noticed the wreath on her head, Toothiana gasping in wonder, "Jack, look! Oh my…_Look_ at the flowers!" Noelle floated closer to them, turning on the spot to give them a proper view at the crown of stars she wore.

Jack was deeply impressed. He could make a layer of frost appear on flowers at his touch too, and had wondered if Noelle would do the same with the wreath she was supposed to make for the Christmas celebration. He held his hand out for Noelle to land on it, and whistled appreciatively. "Looking good there, Noelle! You're going to stand out at the party! You excited?"

She nodded, her tail-feathers twitching in anticipation. She'd learned that Christmas was an important holiday where families gathered to exchange gifts and sing carols. Noelle had come across some mortals singing about her father nipping at noses, something that made him roll his eyes. But North was the center of attention, since he was the one who went all over the world in one night to leave gifts for children. They even left him milk and cookies!

The Guardians would gather at the Pole to have a small celebration of their own before North and Sandman left for the night, the latter helping to keep the humans asleep. Toothiana had described it all to Jack, telling him how they would hold hands and look up at the globe, giving thanks for every light that glowed and renewing their promise to protect the children those lights represented. It would be Jack's first Christmas as a Guardian, and he was looking forward to the chance to finally see Bunnymund during a festive occasions. Tooth had many humorous stories of Bunny becoming more sob-prone after a few cups of eggnog.

Toothiana muttered, "And…finished!" She held up the finished jacket for Jack to see, the fur lining carefully stitched onto the hood. He was very impressed with the sewing, and amazed at how soft the fur was. He put it on, noting that the new decoration didn't overwhelm his face. Rather it seemed to frame it. Jack looked at Toothiana gratefully and said, "Tooth, this is great! I'm never taking this off, except on…_special_ occasions." He raised an eyebrow suggestively, making Toothiana laugh.

The Tooth Fairy looked at Noelle again, her appraising gaze on the crystallized flowers in the wreath. She reached over to touch them delicately with her fingertips, a smile lingering on her face. "Know what these remind me of, Jack?"

"Oh, yes…" He bit his lip self-consciously, remembering the occasion well. It was late May, when he'd decided to ask Toothiana out for the first time. In his first month as a Guardian, Jack had felt drawn to the Fairy, seeing that she was not at all what he'd expected her to be. While she was orderly and a stickler for rules, Toothiana was also childlike in her enthusiasm and love of beauty.

It was a simple walk in the moonlight on the peaks of the Alaskan mountains. Jack remembered feeling some pangs of shyness when he actually asked her, but they quickly dissipated when she eagerly accepted. He waited for her at the base of the mountain, spying a small bushel of red mountain flowers that had just bloomed. He thought they would make a perfect gift for Toothiana and bent down to gather them.

The ground beneath his feet instantly froze, and the flowers too when he picked them. Jack groaned in dismay, bothered by the fact that he could only bring cold instead of warmth.

He'd been so preoccupied brooding over the frozen flowers that he didn't notice Toothiana land behind him. She called to him and he spun around in surprise, still holding the flowers in his hand. Her eyes had grown round with surprise, and she told him they were beautiful.

She kissed him that night, a quick peck on the lips that left him dumbstruck and made his heart pound. The second time he recovered in time to kiss her back, never wanting to stop.

His gift for Toothiana was something similar to those flowers he gave her, worth the trip to the southern part of the country.

Noelle suddenly had an idea as she let her parents look at her wearing the wreath. There were no flowers in Burgess, but there were still a few fallen leaves scattered in the forest. She started to think about what she could do with those leaves with a bit of experimentation with her frosting ability. A heart, perhaps? Or something else…

Whatever it was, Noelle was determined to make sure it would be perfect! Nothing but the best for the two people who loved her most in the world.

Jack stood up, eyes still on his newly decorated jacket. "Think I'll go fly around for a bit, see if I can give a few states some pre-Christmas Eve snow. Care to join me, my fair Noelle?"

The miniature fairy shook her head, not wanting to risk either of her parents finding out about her surprise. She decided she'd go alone, without even telling her sisters.

Toothiana flew up and said, "I think she wants to make sure she's pretty for the party tomorrow. In fact I still have to make _my_ wreath! Thank the Moon there's no tooth activity tonight!"

Jack said with a grin, "I can't wait to see you wear it. I can see it now: Jack Frost and the Tooth Fairy! Escorted by their army of mini-fairies, led by Colonel Baby Tooth and Lieutenant Noelle!" He pointed his staff at his daughter, who jingled grandiosely above him.

Toothiana clapped at the introduction with a giggle. "Well, good luck then! Don't get carried away!"

The young man chuckled as he floated up to kiss her cheek. "Trust me, Tooth!"

The two fairies watched Jack fly from the Palace, Noelle taking the chance to blend back in with the rest of the flock before making her escape.

She waited a few minutes and lingered among the zooming fairies who were putting the finishing touches on their crowns, trying to look inconspicuous as she got closer to the outside. Her mother flew between the fairies, giving them advice as she twined her own wreath. Noelle ached with curiosity to see how her mother's graceful hands built the crown of flowers. But she might never have this chance again.

She reached the mountainside, nothing but air and sky in front of her. Noelle realized with an excited shudder that this was her first venture out of the Palace on her own. _I'll just go to Burgess,_ she thought as she tentatively floated away from the security of her home. _I'll be back before anyone notices I'm gone!_

The little fairy's wings beat quickly, growing slightly tired after ten minutes of flying. She usually had her parents' hands or shoulders to rest on whenever she got tired. And the earth still seemed so far away. She entered the clouds, heart skipping at how white everything looked.

Noelle suddenly had an idea. Surely her father would not notice if his friend the Wind gave her a little help. If he could do it, who said she couldn't? She tinkled loudly, _"Wind! I want to go to Burgess!"_

She waited for the swift rush of air that would transport her to the town, remembering how Jack would shout with delight whenever he flew through the skies at high-speed.

But she had nothing to anchor her in one position, and no object to hold on to. The wind came, roughly buffeting her and making her spin out of control. Noelle jingled in distress, not able to tell what direction she was facing. Her stomach churned as she spun through the air, wings beating uselessly as she tried to regain control.

A terrified Noelle felt some relief when she caught sight of the earth below, but she was still trapped in the gust that made the world spin around her.

She finally slowed, and the wind released her from its grip. Noelle's eyes spun dizzily in their sockets as she wavered, her wings beating weakly. Her head was pounding hard and she felt like she was about to fall from the sky. _The roofs! I need to land…!_

Noelle attempted to land on the roofs, but there were three of each house, blurred and impossible to see properly. She veered to the side, too exhausted to keep going, and recovered her vision in time to see bare branches rise to meet her. She fell between them, landing heavily on one of the trunks before losing her grip and falling to the floor.

She chimed a soft groan as she tried to straighten up, feeling bruised but still in one piece. Noelle's chest rose and fell at a fast pace as she tried to get a sense of her surroundings.

Her heart sank when she realized that she was in the same area where she'd lost the tooth.

The place was desolate and dark, the branches hiding the sun from view. Noelle could barely hear the voices coming from the lake some distance away, and she was far too exhausted to walk or fly over.

She trembled when she realized that she had no way to get home. She was…alone! Completely alone! _Oh no…_ She regretted her hasty plan to leave her parents' side on her own, without the support of her sisters. She couldn't take another journey by wind on her own. The very idea terrified her to her very core.

Noelle looked at the snow beneath her, unable to take her mind away from the fear that settled in her heart. To her the snow represented her father, his kind, protective gaze as she flew beside him. _He's not here! He and Mom don't know where I am!_

She was filled with hopelessness, convinced she would never see her family again if she didn't find her way back to them. All she wanted was to be back with her parents, or one of the other Guardians. They were her home.

She felt a chill in her bones and cringed. It was a familiar feeling that she hoped she would never relive again.

Then she heard threatening nickers around her. Noelle looked up and saw that she was completely surrounded by creatures made of swirling black sand. Their golden eyes gleamed as they stared at her, and they pawed the ground in anticipation of the chase. Noelle whimpered, knowing there was no one around to save her.

The fairy swallowed and flapped her wings desperately in an attempt to escape them. She shot straight up, chiming in terror when she heard their roaring neighs as they flew after her. Noelle was about to call the Wind when she felt the shadows creep around her, and the creature's jaws opened wide to trap her inside its body.

Noelle chimed a shrill scream as she tumbled into the midsection that formed her cage, her eyes darting around frantically in the darkness. Baby Tooth had called these creatures Nightmares, and she wished this really was a nightmare. She beat her fists against the black sand uselessly but she was suddenly pitched forward by the Nightmare's sudden dive into darkness. They seemed to fall forever until Noelle caught sight of the light below.

The Nightmare dissipated, dropping Noelle onto the cold stone floor. She crouched and peered up at the cages above her.

She jumped at the sound of an evil laugh coming from above her, and saw the shadows beneath her move to form a silhouette.

"Well, what a surprise," the oddly gentle-sounding voice said from behind her. Noelle spun around and had to look up to see the figure towering above her. It was a man, his skin dark gray and his hair an inky black, similar to the long robe he wore. His golden eyes were narrowed as he gazed at her, a victorious half-smile on his face. "I thought my eyes were deceiving me when I saw a blue fairy come in. Then I saw how you made it _snow_." He opened his mouth in a chilling chuckle, the fairy catching sight of his sharp teeth.

He bent down to pick up the petrified fairy with long, cold fingers, his voice soft as he said, "You could only be Jack Frost's and the Tooth Fairy's offspring! Oh, the Man in the Moon just _loves_ his little surprises, doesn't he?"

Noelle shook in Pitch's grasp, his very touch filling her with horror. How had the other fairies endured this?

The Boogeyman clicked his tongue as though he were comforting her. "Don't you fret, my dear one. You'll see your parents _very _soon. I've been waiting eagerly for the chance to face them again. Only this time…Jack Frost and the Tooth Fairy at my mercy. Won't that be entertaining?" His fingers stroked her forehead, applying forceful pressure as he nodded towards the Nightmares.

The dark shapes flew through the entrance and back into daylight, shooting up to the sky. They failed to notice a miniature wreath hanging from a branch on one of the trees. Its crystallized flowers twinkled in the sunlight.

* * *

**Gosh. Ain't I a stinker?**


	7. I Remember

**Happy New Year, everyone! This feedback is amazing and heartwarming! I'm sorry for taking so long but writer's block coupled with Skyrim and reading other stuff, it was a bit inevitable. I'm hoping I can get the second-to-last chapter out this weekend. **

**Also, this whole ordeal is reminding me of Persephone in the Underworld. Except Jack isn't an idiot like Zeus. **

**Again I'd like links to any fanart for this but they'd have to be fixed like I fixed Mishacakes' link. Regular URLs don't translate well here.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"You all look exquisite! I can't wait for North to see you all!" Toothiana smiled at her fairy flock, eyes searching for Noelle's familiar blue plumage among the turquoise and pink. The Fairy wanted Jack to see their daughter with the rest of the flock before they left for the Pole.

The trouble was that Toothiana could not find the frost fairy anywhere. She hadn't seen her in nearly two hours. Ever since Noelle's birth, Toothiana had tried to become more aware of her daughter's whereabouts. But with all of the preparations for Christmas she'd been preoccupied. A slight frown on her face, she asked the nearest group of fairies, "You girls haven't seen Noelle around?"

Their answering shrugs made her stomach drop unpleasantly. Where on earth was she? Had she decided to join Jack after all? _She knows she's supposed to let us know where she's going…!_ Toothiana clasped her hands together, anxiously clasping and unclasping them as she flew from one spot to the other (her version of pacing). She kept mentally going over the possibility that Noelle had indeed followed Jack. _Of course she did! I was surprised she didn't go right away, but I guess she just couldn't resist._ She took deep breaths, the persistent worry making her heart beat faster. At this point she just wanted Jack to come back, Noelle floating by his side.

She continued to fly silently through the palace, the fairies now chattering nervously amongst themselves as word quickly spread of Noelle's disappearance.

Toothiana sat beside one of the ceiling's support columns, leaning against it and worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

The minutes dragged by and the festive mood was replaced by concern. There were no teeth that day to distract from those lingering fears.

Then Toothiana heard the rush of wind and her heart beat a bit faster. She instantly flew towards the sound, seeing Jack enter through one of the openings in the mountain. He was smiling when he entered but frowned as soon as he saw the terror in Toothiana's searching gaze.

"What's wrong?"

She glanced behind him and asked, "Noelle isn't with you!?"

Jack shook his head. "No. She said she was staying here, remember?"

He felt a surge of fear when Toothiana's face became desperate. She brought her hand to her forehead and murmured, "…I haven't seen her since you left. I should've looked for her when I noticed she was gone…!"

The skin on the nape of Jack's neck prickled when he caught her meaning. "What? Noelle's missing!?" He flew straight up to the chattering flock, eyes frantically searching for his child. "She never followed me, Tooth! I thought she stayed here to get ready!"

"I know! This is all my fault!" Toothiana floated down to the ground, wings fluttering to a near-stop the closer to the bottom she got. She knew she had to get out there and find her daughter, but she felt so afraid. The fear was crippling her just as lack of belief had months before. "If I'd realized she was gone earlier…" Her tears fell to the stone floor and her shoulders shook as she quietly sobbed.

Jack quickly noticed the shift in her energy as he flew back down to her, gathering her in his arms even as clammy fear threatened to take hold in his heart. "Hey, stop that…Come on, this won't so us any good." He ran his broad hand over her trembling shoulders, his steady breaths calming her down in spite of the knot forming in his belly.

She backed away slightly and cleared her throat, her eyes still filled with tears. "Do you have any idea where she could've gone?"

The younger Guardian dropped his gaze, brow furrowing in consternation. "We haven't been taking her too far. Just to Burgess and some smaller towns…"

The Fairy's wings fluttered determinedly. "Then we start in Burgess! Let's go!" She shot off out of the mountain, pulling Jack behind her. Baby Tooth and two other fairies followed them, leaving their wreaths with the flock.

Jack held on to Toothiana's hand as they traveled through the wind, his eyes trained on the earth below. The town came into view, its people milling about the streets and going in and out of shops.

The young Guardian felt his worry mount as the seconds went by without a trace of Noelle's blue feathers. He asked himself why she would leave on her own without a word and if she was alright. He was grateful the sun was still high in the sky, not wanting Noelle to be out on her own in the cold darkness. He gave Toothiana's hand a gentle squeeze, his feelings echoing hers.

They flew closer to the secluded lake, finding no trace of their daughter in the town. Jack felt his horror spike when he saw the frozen surface, and his eyes scanned it thoroughly. No holes or cracks, but that did not lessen the weight in Jack's heart. His feet touched the ice, thickening it further.

Toothiana remained aloft, calling over the trees, "Noelle! Noelle, it's us! Where are you?" The three smaller fairies chirped their own frantic calls.

Jack tightened his grasp on his staff, biting his lip as he strained to hear a jingle or fluttering of tiny wings. He suddenly shouted, "Wind! Bring us Noelle!"

The Fairy turned towards him, her face filled with hope. The wind could take her to Jack, so why wouldn't it work with Noelle?

But the wind remained silent.

Jack shook his head, his breaths coming fast as he grew desperate. "No…No…" The wind had never refused him. It always did what he asked. "Wind, _please…_Bring her to us. Take _us_ to her! Do something!" He beat his staff against the ice, a ripple of frost forming on the once-smooth surface.

He gritted his teeth together as he heard Toothiana's terrified breaths. In his anger the wind began to blow up the snow around the lake, creating sharp flurries that whipped his hair and the Fairy's feathers about. The three miniature fairies had to anchor themselves to a tree as the wind became rough.

Toothiana landed behind Jack and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing his stiff form in desperation as the small storm around them raged. She wanted to tell him to stop it, but her voice threatened to break into sobs if she tried to speak. _We have to keep looking! We can't just stand here—_

_THWACK!_

Jack was flung to the side, pulling Toothiana with him and stopping the blizzard. They hit the ice hard, loosening the Fairy's hold on the frost spirit. She shut her eyes against the sudden pain from the landing, and added her groan to Jack's pained one.

The young Guardian clutched his temple, where the unknown object had struck him and ripped him out of his helpless fury. He pulled his hand away, relieved that there was no blood, and looked up at Toothiana. Some of her feathers were frosted over, but she looked unharmed yet as shaken as he was. He heard the fairies chatter excitedly and glanced around.

His eyes grew wide when he saw Bunnymund standing on the shore, his thick brows furrowed in a frown. "_What_ in the name of rotten eggs are you two doing here!?"

Toothiana beamed and flew towards him. "Bunny! I'm so glad you're here! It's Noelle. She…she disappeared and we have no idea where she went!"

Jack managed to pull himself up with his staff, but clutched it for support. He didn't trust himself to remain balanced with his fear getting the better of him. He heard the Easter Bunny reply, "I'm sorry, Tooth. I haven't seen her, and I've been in town since morning leaving these painted rocks."

Toothiana's shoulders drooped in dismay and Jack very nearly felt like stirring another storm. He ran his hand through his hair in a quick, desperate motion, and said, "Where else could she be?! Maybe…Maybe she went to the Pole or-or-"

"No, she didn't, Jack…"

He looked up and spotted Toothiana staring at something in she held in her hands. Baby Tooth and the two fairies were looking at it with apprehension in their faces. Jack quickly flew to them, and peered into Toothiana's cupped hands and felt his heart skip a beat. It was Noelle's wreath, decorated with the crystallized poinsettias. "Where was it?"

Bunnymund pointed to the top branches of one of the surrounding trees and replied, "The fairies got it from up there. I don't see Noelle anywhere, though."

Toothiana exclaimed, "Then she _was_ here!" She clutched the wreath to her chest and glanced around the area again. "Great Moon, Noelle wouldn't just leave her wreath behind. She worked so hard on it…"

The Guardians and fairies fell silent when they heard a familiar clopping sound and a soft nicker. Toothiana blanched as she caught sight of the dark figures standing between the trees, their golden eyes gleaming hungrily. The fairies immediately hid behind her as the creatures snorted.

Nightmares.

Jack held his staff at the ready as he stared the Nightmares down, trying not to reveal his emotions. He knew Pitch's servants were feeding off the fear he and Toothiana were surely exuding, but he refused to let the beasts get the better of them. Not when they needed to spend every second searching for Noelle. He hissed, "What do _they_ want?"

The rabbit shushed him and said, "Jack, hang on. Look!"

One of the Nightmares inched closer, its body melting down into amorphous black sand before them. Toothiana floated down to the ice, her disgusted yet entranced gaze on the black substance. It was quickly reshaping itself, the sand forming something much smaller than its original form. She began to recognize the small shape it formed, having lived with it for so many centuries.

It was a fairy, eyes wide and glowing. The other Nightmares surrounded it threateningly as they pawed the snow. Toothiana grasped Jack's arm and Bunnymund's shoulder, the three staring on in horror as the dark fairy was overcome by the Nightmares, absorbed into their black sand as though it had never existed. They receded into the trees.

Jack realized what it meant. It was everything he had feared since Noelle came into his life. "Tooth, we…we were so careful! How did he…"

The Guardian of Hope put a paw on Jack's shoulder and tried to keep his voice steady as he said, "Look, let's just calm down and…"

"_NO!" _Toothiana let out an outraged yell as she flew towards the chasm that led to Pitch's lair. His own fury rising, Jack went after her, prepared to storm the place and encase the Boogeyman in a column of ice for the next century. Bunnymund was hot on their heels along with the three fairies.

They all dove into the dark hole, swallowed by the darkness and surrounded by terror that tried to pierce into their hearts. They heard an echoing roar behind them, signaling the Nightmares blocking the way out.

They spotted the sliver of light at the bottom, a feeling of foreboding going through Jack's mind. He didn't want to imagine what he would find there. The last time he'd journeyed to that accursed place was when he attempted to free the flightless fairies, their wings heavy with every child's disillusionment. Noelle was down there, probably just as paralyzed…He didn't want to think about that.

They slowed, the two fliers reaching out to stop the rabbit's fall. The three slowly floated down, their eyes gradually adjusting to the glaring brightness of Pitch's underworld.

The cages hung from the stone ceiling, metallic and cold. Toothiana sucked in quick breaths at the sight of them, knowing that her fairies had been imprisoned in this terrible place. "The fairies!" She quickly turned to see if the three fairies were with them, but they were nowhere to be found.

Bunnymund whispered, "They probably couldn't get down here in time. Those Nightmares were fast…"

"It's just as well," Jack muttered as he slowly walked toward Pitch's smaller, darker version of the globe, covered with lights that represented innocence to the Guardians. Jack knew each of those lights mocked Pitch. He went on, "They're safer on the surface."

Toothiana flew closer to the cages, straining to hear anything that signaled Noelle's presence. Their breaths echoed loudly through the enormous cavern, making every moment unbearable.

Finally Bunnymund shouted, "Pitch! You've already got us down here! Show your face, you bloody coward!" He drew out a boomerang and glared around him, standing back to back with an equally incensed Jack.

The silence tortured them until they heard the wind's distant roar. They searched for the source, the rattling of the cages dominating everything.

Suddenly something lunged at Toothiana, the Fairy screaming as the dark shape shoved her back onto the stone ground. She struggled uselessly, caught by surprise and unable to summon any strength to fight back. The cavern had nearly sapped her of her energy, leaving her with little strength to fly. Now, trapped beneath the black pillar, her limbs were useless. All she could do was raise her head with enormous effort.

Jack and Bunnymund both gasped with shock, the former running towards the Fairy. "Tooth! Hang on!" His staff began to glow, charging with energy to fight the pillar and free Toothiana.

Her eyes grew round and she cried, "Bunny!"

Jack spun in time to see another pillar throw the Easter Bunny to the ground, boomerang flying out of his grasp. He too struggled helplessly, but could not disentangle himself from the black substance.

Then they heard the cold laughter that had haunted them for months. The voice might have been the source of great comfort for all its softness. But instead it only brought out fear, the kind that could not be beaten down easily. Jack stood between Toothiana and Bunnymund, holding on to his glowing staff and frantically glancing around.

The voice came out of nowhere. "You look quite impressive, Frost. Just…_overflowing _with power! Guardianship suits you, but it doesn't seem to be helping your friends at the moment."

Bunnymund grunted venomously, "Come down here and I'll show you what a Guardian can do, you kidnapping monster!"

Pitch's voice floated to them from a shadowed corner past the globe. "I don't think you'll be doing anything, rabbit. See, you weren't even invited to this gathering, but you'll serve my purpose." A pair of golden eyes emerged from the darkness, the rest of Pitch's cloaked figure steadily coming into view, his hands hidden from view. Jack glared with hatred, his eyes still searching for Noelle.

It was Toothiana who yelled, "What have you done with my daughter, Pitch!?"

The Boogeyman smiled beatifically, showing his pointed teeth as he slowly walked toward them. "Easy, my dear Fairy. Your daughter is fine. I gave her nothing but the best of my personal care." He brought his left hand into view, slightly curled around something small. The object jingled loudly, and Jack saw a pair of blue eyes peer out from between Pitch's long fingers.

He exclaimed joyfully, "Noelle!" He swiftly moved toward her, but Pitch immediately pulled her away with a disapproving click of his tongue.

"No, Jack! Not another step closer or you will never see your precious girl again." His eyes were full of malice as he loomed over Jack.

He heard Noelle's fearful tinkling, his heart aching to take her back into his hands again and never let her out of his sight. "Pitch…just come out with it. Tell me what you want."

Toothiana shook her head, whimpering as the pillar continued to crush her. She stared at Noelle, drinking in the sight of her. Her little one was so afraid, trembling so hard and nearly in tears as she glanced at the three Guardians.

Noelle had not left Pitch's grasp in the entirety of her stay. He merely waited patiently in the darkness, probably picturing his future victory over the Guardians. The fairy felt fear take root in her heart, but she managed to keep it at bay with her powerful memories. The Boogeyman had occasionally muttered, often to her but mostly to himself, about the many injustices against him, and wanting to be believed in.

Noelle merely gathered that he was all alone in this dark, cold place, with only those terrifying Nightmares for company.

Then her parents appeared, and Noelle wanted nothing else but to fly into the safety of their arms. But her mother and the Easter Bunny were trapped, and Jack looked just as trapped as they were.

Pitch finally replied, "The same thing I wanted the last time, Jack, with a few additions. You want your daughter? I'll give her to you. Just break your staff in two…and leave your friends here with me. Or else little Noelle will remain here. I always wondered what having a child of my own would be like. And they are so…_impressionable _at this age. Think of all the things she could learn from me!"

Jack glanced at the other two Guardians in disbelief. Bunnymund and Toothiana stared back at him, his shock mirrored in their eyes. Leaving them there meant weakening them for good. Once again children would stop believing in them and Pitch would be free to invade their dreams. Jamie's faith, and that of his group of friends, could only do so much. Jack didn't know what they could possibly do to prevent Pitch from prevailing.

But Noelle was at stake. _His_ and Toothiana's Noelle. The purest creature in their lives. The last thing Jack wanted was to see her infected by Pitch's fear. To see all of her power twisted into something terrible.

He was suddenly stricken by how trapped he was. Pitch had them all. Noelle, Toothiana, and Bunnymund all in his grasp, their lives in Jack's hands. _Don't make me choose…_The Easter Bunny had become a loyal friend, constantly putting Jack on the right path. Toothiana was the one he loved, the one who always filled him with warmth and happiness. He could see the fear and pain in his fellow Guardians' eyes as they were forced to crouch.

Cold gripped his insides, visions of Tooth, Bunny, and Noelle suffering making him want to run away like he would have just a year ago. But he couldn't do it. He didn't _want_ to run away. He just didn't want to choose…

Toothiana watched Jack's tortured expression, her heart aching as she was pressed against the cold ground. She yearned to help him, to not let him make such a choice. "Jack…!" She tried calling to him, but she was suffocating beneath the pillar, unable to choke out a single syllable.

She glared at Pitch, whose unbridled joy showed in his face. He was enjoying the agony he was putting Jack through, and loved to see her and Bunnymund helpless. A fire rose in Toothiana's belly. She _refused_ to be helpless, least of all against Pitch Black. _I…am the Tooth Fairy…! I am a Guardian! _She had been helpless once before, before being reborn as the Tooth Fairy. Never again. And not when her child's life was at stake.

Noelle's eyes met hers, still terrified yet hopeful. Toothiana dared to hope when she saw the precious emotion shift through her daughter's face. Pitch squeezed her again, drawing out a pained jingle from Noelle. "Now, Frost!"

At Noelle's sound of pain, and seeing Jack squeeze his staff, Toothiana felt strength flow through her limbs. She could…_move!_ She wanted to save her daughter. That dominated every part of her brain and helped her muster up the strength to free herself. She squirmed against her bonds, gritting her teeth and groaning against the pressure. _"N-no…"_

Pitch glanced at her, surprise flickering in his golden eyes. Toothiana saw the evil there, his intentions towards Jack and Noelle, and drew herself up furiously. Her hands glowed with energy that she quickly aimed at Pitch. The Boogeyman began to back away with a growl but Toothiana was quicker. With great speed and a furious shout she shot the two bursts of energy at him, catching him in the belly and chest. Pitch fell backwards with a grunt.

Jack was surprised by the blurred turquoise and pink shape that sped towards Pitch, but saw the opportunity Toothiana had presented him with. As soon as Toothiana's bolts hit the tall fear spirit, he loosened his grip on Noelle, who quickly pulled herself out from his fingers and flew towards Jack.

"Noelle!" Jack laughed with relief as his daughter flew straight to his waiting hands, the snow fairy jingling in his embrace. He held her close to his cheek, feeling her quick heartbeat beneath his fingers. She was safe! Noelle was safe!

Pitch's hold on Bunnymund vanished as he was overtaken by Toothiana, who slowly flew towards him as she cornered him to the stone wall. The Boogeyman stammered as he crawled backwards, clutching his chest and panting, "You…You were lucky this time! You can't protect her fore-"

_"Be. Quiet."_ Toothiana's glare was filled with her desire to give Pitch as much physical pain as possible. Her hands sparked with lingering power, prepared to strike him if he tried another one of his tricks. "If you come anywhere near my daughter, my fairies, or my friends again, I'll send you into orbit!" Her hand shot out to grasp the man's neck. "Understand, Boogeyman?"

Pitch grunted painfully, "F-f-fine…!" He strained away from her hold, which nearly lifted him off the floor. She glared at him a moment longer until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Bunnymund said to her, his voice hoarse with remaining pain, "I've got him, Tooth. Go with your kid."

Toothiana held on to Pitch a second longer before letting him fall. She spun towards Jack, who was staring at her with surprise as he held an equally shocked Noelle in his hand. The relief in his vivid blue gaze was infectious, and Toothiana sighed tremblingly as she flew towards them.

Jack took her in his arms, still holding on to Noelle. The tiny fairy jingled at her mother, who leaned down to kiss the small of her face with joy. "You're alright! Oh, Noelle! I was so afraid I'd never see you again!"

Noelle gazed at them both with loving joy. Jack was smiling with breathless abandon, and said to Toothiana, "I thought we weren't going to get out of that one! Tooth, how did you do _that?_"

She smiled back and replied, "I couldn't let anyone hurt my baby. I had to help you all and…well, you know what they say about parents finding strength when their child's in danger."

Jack held them both closer, his gaze drawn to Pitch, trapped beneath Bunnymund's watchful eyes. The Boogeyman was staring at Jack, and he could see…envy.

The gray-skinned man softly said, "…You win again, of course. It'll always be this way. You with your…family. And I on my own…It's only fitting, I suppose. I've no memories of anything resembling a…" He stopped, the anger melting from him and replaced with loneliness.

The Guardians stared at the pathetic creature, disdain and sympathy at war within them. They pitied Pitch because they knew how meaningless existence felt if no one believed in them. If no one could touch them or speak to them. But they couldn't bring themselves to forgive him after every evil he'd committed against the children. He wanted to be believed in, even if it meant ripping the innocence from a child.

Noelle watched him silently, and saw his deep sadness and how it crippled him. She hated seeing him like that even though she knew she should hate him. How could anyone stand to be so lonely?

Her parents began to fly to the dark gateway, Bunnymund following yet keeping his eyes trained on Pitch. Noelle flew out of Jack's hand and back towards Pitch, an idea forming in her head.

Bunnymund noticed and firmly said, "Noelle, get back here!"

Jack and Toothiana turned around, horrified once again.

But Noelle had formed the snowball, and was aiming it at Pitch's head as he began to get up, his face to the ground. She threw it and watched it splatter against his temple.

Pitch shouted when he felt the cold object hit, and spun around to face the Guardians furiously. "You _dare-"_ He stopped, his gaze suddenly blank.

Toothiana stretched her hand out and pulled Noelle back to her, but went on staring at Pitch as he became lost in memory.

Jack watched Pitch's face, realizing he was reliving some happy memory. What could have possibly made that monster happy? But something was crossing Pitch's features. Disbelief. Dawning realization. Then…bliss.

Pitch Black was smiling. He was laughing. He did not look nor sound malicious at all. It was as though he were truly happy because something was going right.

Bunnymund was frowning in confusion and asked, "Did…Did Noelle do that memory thing?"

To their surprise Pitch dropped to his knees, his gaze concentrated on something in front of him. "It's…her. It's my daughter…" Tears rimmed his eyes. "It's my little girl...!"

Jack's breath caught, and he squeezed Toothiana closer. Pitch had a _daughter?!_ He glanced at Noelle, who was also staring at Pitch with great interest.

The fear spirit's eyes slowly returned to focus, and he stared down at the ground as he panted shakily. "She made me…_remember!_ I remembered my…my child!" He brought his shaking hand to his face and covered his eyes.

The three Guardians glanced at each other, not knowing what to make of this new knowledge. Pitch had forgotten his life too, but Noelle had returned something to him. It had changed him, undoubtedly, but no one knew to what degree.

They silently walked towards the gateway and back into the darkness, Jack hearing Pitch's final moan, "Oh Moon…What have I done…?"

They did not breathe the entire journey back to the surface. Bunnymund sighed with great relief when they finally caught sight of the blue sky above them. "Thank heavens! I never want to go down there again!"

The other three fairies hovered over the hole anxiously, but chirped with glee when Noelle flew up towards them.

Baby Tooth wrapped her arms around her little sister, and the other fairies enveloped them in a warm hug. The Nightmares had blocked their entrance to the underground lair, leaving the fairies wondering whether the Guardians were alright, but they had disappeared minutes before. Baby Tooth didn't care where they went. She was just overjoyed that Noelle was safe and sound.

Jack and Toothiana felt they could breathe again, and stared up at Noelle as their hearts filled with relief and gratitude. He squeezed Toothiana's small hand and felt her squeeze back. He felt something in her palm, and she opened it to reveal Noelle's wreath.

The Fairy held it up and said, "Noelle, you dropped this!"

The snow fairy exclaimed with surprise and flew to grab the wreath, putting it back on her head. Toothiana made a sound between a laugh and a sob, and ran her fingers over Noelle's soft head. "Why did you come here by yourself, sweetheart? We thought you'd gotten hurt, or…"

Shame crossed Noelle's face, and she jingled a soft reply. As the days passed she began to be more coherent in her unique speech. Toothiana could understand her fairies, but Jack and the other Guardians could not. For some reason Noelle translated easily to him.

Jack spoke after Noelle finished explaining, "Kiddo…You still could've brought Baby Tooth with you! We had no idea where you were!" He surprised himself with his firmness. He never once pictured himself scolding anyone. "Promise you'll never do something like this again."

Noelle nodded, solemnly promising.

Bunnymund added, "Besides, I think you're enough of a gift yourself, ya little nose-biter. At least for this year." He gazed at the fairy fondly, and she smiled back shyly.

Smiling and beginning to relax again, Jack added, "Yeah…_You're_ our present, Noelle. And you're the best we've ever gotten."

Toothiana beamed at Noelle and flew up. "Let's go home, without the wind. I think you've had enough of that for one century, right?"

The frost fairy nodded vigorously as Jack chuckled with a roll of his eyes.


	8. On this Night of Celebration

**Classes start up again next week. Um...yay? But no, seriously. College is GOOD. I promise I'll have the final chapter up by next weekend! TOTALLY DETERMINED.**

**Kind of an overdue explanation here, but someone pointed it out and I should explain: Bunny calls Noelle a "nose biter" because she is Jack's daughter, and he's famously associated with the term "Jack Frost nipping at your _nose_." That and Noelle most likely targeted Bunny's nose when they first met. Poor guy. I edited these last two chapters because of some conflicting information that resulted in more conflicting information in my conflicting information blah blah blah. POINT IS, IT'S FIXED.**

* * *

Jack could not have imagined a more entertaining gathering of the Guardians. In all of his existence the newest Guardian wouldn't have guessed that the Christmas party at the Pole would be…_fun_.

He, Toothiana, the fairies, and Bunnymund stood at the sleigh dock, waving North off as he prepared to board with the gifts in tow. The Yetis were still making final preparations. Sandman would be accompanying him to make sure the kids remained asleep. Noelle was sitting on Jack's shoulder, awestruck at how _enormous_ North's bag of gifts was. She thought as she stared wide-eyed, _Are there really gifts for every kid in the world in there?!_ Based on the sheer size it was entirely possible! Noelle was slowly learning that when it came to North, nothing was impossible.

Bunnymund had gotten into the eggnog hours earlier, and was becoming teary-eyed and hugging Sandman as he blubbered, "I…I know I don't say this often, mate, but after last Easter… I just want you to know that _you are my best friend!" _He began to break down in tears on Sandy's shoulder, the rotund man awkwardly patting him on the back.

Jack stifled a laugh, since Toothiana was giving him a sidelong warning glare and held her elbow poised to jab him. Instead he cleared his throat and pried the rabbit off of the smaller Guardian. "Alright, Bunny, let's back away and let Sandy go with North."

The Guardian of Wonder shooed a trio of elves from the driver's seat and sat down, leaving room for Sandy beside him. The corners of his eyes crinkled up in a smile as he looked at the remaining Guardians. "Well…look at us, eh? We made it through another year and managed to keep Pitch at bay! _Twice!" _He winked at Noelle, who jingled in response. "And we have a new Guardian this year. Jack…" He placed his broad hand on the young man's shoulder, a twinkle of pride in his blue eyes. "We are lucky you are with us."

Jack smiled and waved a hand awkwardly. "Cut it out, old man. Tonight's _yours, _not mine."

"I am serious, Jack," the older Guardian solemnly said. "You saved us when you made Jamie believe not just in you, but in all of us."

"Yeah!" Bunnymund suddenly leaned on Jack, who grunted in surprise. "I never thanked you for that, mate! So…know what I'm gonna do? I am gonna give you…the _biggest, grandest_ Easter egg in the history of eggs! I'll hide it…I'll figure that out later! I just wanna tell you, and don't tell Sandy, that _you_ are my best friend!"

Sandy crossed his arms and frowned at the rabbit, prompting Toothiana to start giggling uncontrollably. Jack disentangled himself from Bunnymund's tipsy hug and looked at his fellow Guardians. They all believed in him, in spite of his many mistakes, and he was rarely alone unless he wanted to be. Best of all they were a family. A makeshift, often dysfunctional family, but they were his. Toothiana and Noelle were the brightest stars in his life. Looking back on last Christmas, Jack could never have imagined that he would be standing in the Pole with the other Guardians.

He had it all. His memories, his purpose, and his family. Jack smiled at them all and said, "Thanks, North. Really." He reached for Toothiana's hand and gave it a warm squeeze.

Soon North and Sandman left, leaving the three other Guardians, the Yetis, and the fairies alone to continue the celebration. While the fairies and Yetis lingered around the workshop, taking some well-deserved rest and relaxation, the three Guardians and Noelle sat at the workshop tables and began to exchange gifts among themselves.

Bunnymund was now at the dizziness-stage of his tipsiness, prompting Toothiana to quickly hide the rest of the eggnog. She said, "Bunny, why don't you start us off? If you can still see, that is."

The rabbit cleared his throat and said, "I-I can see just fine! Look, I've got yours, Jack's, and Noelle's presents right here! So Happy Christmas!" He reached for a box lying by his chair and brought it up, carefully placing it atop the table. The box was wrapped in light blue paper, with a white bow around it. Toothiana carefully unwrapped it and brought out three ceramic eggs, each propped on three legs to stand on its own. One was painted in shades of green and pink, covered in thin, intricate golden spirals. The second was solid blue, dotted with white snowflakes. Jack brought it closer to his face, astounded at how exquisitely detailed each snowflake was.

Noelle's egg was smaller than the other two, and mostly matched Jack's, except some of her snowflakes were painted silver. She glanced at Bunnymund then back at her gift, surprised that _he_ could make something so pretty. She knew he painted eggs for kids to find, but she had no idea how much work he put into all of them.

Toothiana held hers, deeply touched, and said, "Thank you so much, Bunny! They're beautiful! I'll go next!" She retrieved three boxes from the table behind them, and gave them to Bunnymund, Jack and Noelle. "Merry Christmas, everyone."

Noelle stopped to watch Jack open his first, the younger Guardian peeling off the red paper from the thin object.

Jack's eyes grew round when he saw the gift in its entirety. It was a painting, framed in silver, of a spring landscape. Two figures, a boy and a little girl, sat on a branch, their backs to him. They were staring out at the blue waters of the lake beneath the afternoon sun. Jack remembered this moment clearly. It was the final spring of his life, when he taught his little sister how to climb trees. She'd been so happy when she could climb onto one of the branches just as he could, but still held on to his arm for fear of falling.

His eyes stinging mildly, Jack tenderly looked at Toothiana and said, "I love it, Tooth. You don't know how much this means to me…" Just knowing that his sister had lived after that fateful day made Jack happy he had fallen through the ice. She'd been worth it, and he would go through it again if only to save her life from those cold depths.

Noelle started to unwrap hers a bit more impatiently. The pink paper was in pieces by the time she could finally get the box opened. She jingled in surprise and lifted out a stuffed hummingbird, small enough for her to carry. It was sky-blue with a white spot on its belly, and its beak long and thin. Noelle was enchanted, wondering how her mother managed to sew something so tiny. She hugged the stuffed creature close, not wanting to let it go. Jingling with delight she zoomed over to Toothiana and hugged her mother's fingers.

Bunnymund's was a golden set of paintbrushes, capable of reproducing any beautiful design from the rabbit's memories. He held them in his paws, giving Toothiana a grateful smile.

It was Jack's turn. He reached into his pocket and drew out three boxes. "Here's yours, Bunny. Merry Christmas and please get into the eggnog more often!" He handed the silver-wrapped box to Bunnymund, who opened it to reveal an ice-likeness of himself holding hands with a small girl.

With a skip of his heart Bunnymund recognized Sophie. Never had a human child enchanted him so, especially when she was just as impressed by the Warren and the living eggs. She'd reminded Bunnymund of how important he was to children, and what his eggs meant. "Jack…I don't know what to say, mate. This is amazing."

Toothiana was silent as she stared at the gift in her palm, her heart thudding in her chest. It was a ring, though not jewelry in the strict sense. It was a crystallized flower, a small daisy with perfectly preserved petals. The stem was smoothly bent into a neat loop for her to fit around her finger. It was cool against her skin rather than icy, but felt so incredibly warm. At the moment Toothiana felt that she was holding the most precious jewel in existence. Once she put it on her left ring finger she looked up at Jack with all the adoration she could muster, and said, "It's so beautiful, Jack. I'm never taking it off."

His smile was so full of joy and love. "Good, because I'm never leaving." He let his fingers gently trace her wrist until they twined their fingers together, their foreheads coming to touch.

They heard a surprised jingle and saw Noelle sitting atop the miniature ice-polar bear Jack had made for her, her small fingers tracing along the detailed surface. The thin ridges almost felt like real fur, and they caught the light perfectly. She absolutely loved it, the hummingbird, and the egg, letting the three Guardians know with a loud and happy jingle.

* * *

Jack sat atop the workshop's domed roof, watching dawn break on the white horizon. North and Sandman were still out, and everyone else remained inside, asleep on pillows. Noelle had dozed off next to Baby Tooth, clutching her hummingbird close. Jack had slept a few hours, determined not to miss this first Christmas sunrise as a guardian. He always loved the sight of a snowy landscape on Christmas morning, imagining all the fun that could be had. He remembered a sled his father had made for him one Christmas when he was younger. He'd immediately taken it to the highest hill in Burgess, offering thrilling rides to his friends.

Sighing wistfully, Jack stared at the Toothiana's painting, looking at the two children on that branch. He'd never known a time when he was alone in those days, always beside his mother, or trailing behind his father, or playing with his sister. That crushing loneliness the first night beneath the Moon filled Jack's world for three hundred years, but now everything was different. There were others depending on him, especially Noelle. She would need protection until she was ready to face the world on her own like her siblings. Then the children of the world who believed in the Guardians still needed someone to protect them from losing their innocence and falling prey to darkness. It was a challenge, but Jack Frost never backed away from a challenge. He knew he and the other Guardians would always protect the children, and had faith in kids like Jamie to keep believing.

Jack was so deep in thought that he barely heard wings beating behind him, and yelped in surprise when Toothiana's arms suddenly closed in around him.

She laughed in his ear, "I actually scared you!"

Wriggling half-heartedly Jack replied, "Nope! Just caught me by surprise. There's a _huge_ difference, you know!"

"Right. Of course!" She spun him around to face her and planted a kiss on his lips. "I never thanked you properly for this beautiful ring." She smiled, stirring up warmth inside Jack that made his scalp tingle. Her fingers were entangled in his hair, and he couldn't resist circling her small waist in his arms.

He pulled Toothiana closer for a slower, more lingering kiss, feeling her small hands come down to his chest and gently pull at his jacket. Jack smirked against her lips and said, "I should give you ice-jewelry more often. I…I know it's probably not a lot, but I wanted to give you something to let you know how…grateful I am that you put up with me."

Raising an eyebrow, the Fairy said, "Well I wouldn't call it putting up with you. I'd call it…loving you."

Jack's heart swelled. Three hundred years and he never once thought he'd hear someone like Toothiana say those words to him. Every time he heard her say them he felt like he'd been granted something extraordinary. Far more powerful than his powers. That love had created Noelle, someone else he was grateful for.

She went on, "This ring…I'm completely sure it's never leaving my sight. It's beautiful and it reminds me of you. But you've already given me something that I can never repay. You gave me our Noelle."

He smiled, taking her hands and pulling her down as he sat cross-legged, prompting her to do the same. "She's your present to me too. When I found out you had her I didn't think it was possible. I never thought about having kids but now that she's here…I can't see this life, this…_eternity_ without her in it."

Toothiana sighed, her dazzling smile taking his breath away. "I love when you say those things. I love…how _caring _and unselfish you are. How you can switch from fun-loving troublemaker to a protector. And I'm so thankful because you reminded me why I'm a Guardian. Organization's good and everything but…you were right. It's different _being_ there, and seeing how happy we make kids."

She brought a hand to his cheek, and Jack leaned into the warmth. He said, "I love that you had faith in me from the start, even when I didn't deserve it. You treated me like I was already one of you, and…even though I didn't show it, it felt…good. I didn't feel alone, for once."

"I don't ever want you to feel alone." Toothiana looked at him tenderly, gazing into his near-violet eyes as the sun rose higher. Jack gazed back, filling his eyes with her striking beauty. Jack could think of no better gift than having Toothiana look at him like that for the rest of time, Noelle gracefully flying by her side.

* * *

"Jack! No-No! Look! Look at me! Snow angel" Sophie threw herself on the snow and moved her arms back and forth, Noelle floating above her and watching carefully.

The little girl giggled noisily as she straightened, looking over her shoulder at the snow angel she'd created. Getting up and wiping the snow from her behind, Sophie pointed at the "winged" indentation and said to Noelle, "Pretty snow fairy!"

Jack laughed as he watched Noelle zoom above the snow angel in amazement. His daughter was entranced by the simple magic Sophie had performed with the snow. The little fairy flew behind Sophie to see if she had wings or not. Leaping off his perch on the fence, Jack walked over to the snow fairy and said, "Not bad, Soph! I couldn't make one that neat until I was Jamie's age!"

"Make what?" Jamie pedaled into the yard, his face red from riding his new red bike back and forth down the street. Abby padded up behind him, her tongue lolling as she panted tiredly. Jamie crouched down next to Sophie and exclaimed, "Cool fairy, Soph! Come on, let's build a snowman before lunch!"

"Yay, snowman! Snowman!"

Noelle followed the two children, not wanting to miss any of the wonders they created.

Jack was about to follow but couldn't shake off a lingering feeling of uneasiness that had been there since he arrived in Jamie's yard. He didn't want to leave the children early to investigate himself, but now he felt he had to. Keeping his voice casual he called, "Uh, Jamie! Hang on a minute!"

The boy stopped and looked back. "What's up?"

"Listen, could you do me a favor and keep an eye on Noelle? There's something I need to take care of."

Jamie looked up at Noelle and nodded. "I can do that! I've watched Sophie tons of times!"

Jack patted Jamie's hair and said, "Thanks, Jamie! I owe you!" Then he flew off, casting a worried glance at his daughter before flying towards the lake.

He knew what the feeling was as he neared the area, and he squeezed his staff as a familiar fury flooded through him. Gritting his teeth and landing on the icy surface, Jack glanced around him and said loudly, "I'm _really_ not in the mood for this today, Pitch. So just come out now so I can send you back into your pit."

The trees rustled as a breeze passed through them. Jack strained his ears for any sign of the Nightmares.

The familiar voice came from a short distance away. "I…I haven't come to fight, Frost."

He spun in its direction and held his staff ready, charging a cold attack. Something thin moved through the trees, very visible in the white landscape.

It was Pitch, but without the cunning and swaggering confidence Jack had come to recognize him by. There was no trace of the predator in his gaze. Instead there was only weariness in those golden eyes. And he was alone, no Nightmares flanking him.

His voice was strained as he said, "I just…I wanted to tell you that…That I've changed."

Jack frowned, letting out a soft chuckle. "You've _really_ got to come up with a better line than that one."

Pitch groaned and hissed, "Just _listen_ to me! Do you realize what your daughter did to me?!"

The Guardian raised his staff warningly as the fear-spirit walked closer. "…She made you remember your own kid," he replied softly.

"That's right," Pitch said, holding his hands up. There was actual fear in his eyes, and…supplication. "She made me realize what I was doing to you and…to every other child…I can't remember much else, but…I remembered that-that the child…my _daughter_…I remembered that I always wanted to keep her safe."

Jack saw the aching loss in his eyes and wondered to himself what Pitch's life had been like when he was human. What had happened to his daughter?

Pitch went on, "I remember she was afraid of the dark and strangers. That kept her from straying too far from home. She trusted me and…" He closed his eyes, brow creasing and body bending as though he were in pain. "I don't know…what became of her. If she stayed safe or if something happened…"

Lowering his staff slightly, Jack sighed as he looked at the pained figure. He could sense something new in Pitch. That something…essential had arisen. Noelle had reminded him of a daughter he loved and cared for. Would that extend to other children too? Would Pitch protect children rather than feed on their fears?

"…How do I know I can trust you?"

Pitch nodded understandingly. "I don't…fully know _or _trust myself. But…what I did last Easter and two days ago…it was all wrong. I…I think I can be better than that. I just…don't want to hurt anyone. Fear can keep children from straying. _Protect_ them from danger…"

Jack realized, with a pang, that Pitch was right. His and Toothiana's fears had kept Noelle from trouble until she fell into the Boogeyman's grasp. Fearing the worst instinctively made people more careful about taking risks. "…So you won't try to fight us again? Just so you know, we're still keeping an eye on you no matter what you say."

"I expected that," Pitch said as he rubbed his forehead. "I wouldn't trust me either. But…I won't fight the Guardians again." He turned away from Jack and began to walk towards the forest. He paused and looked over his shoulder. "…You're lucky, you know. You have your memories…and a daughter to share them with. For what it's worth I am sorry for any harm I did to her."

Jack was silent as he watched Pitch walk away, still standing tensely with his staff ready. He couldn't wrap his mind around everything quickly enough. He couldn't fully comprehend how Pitch Black, an ancient fear-spirit, could suddenly change for the better.

He glanced back towards the town, knowing Noelle, Jamie, and Sophie were waiting for him. If Pitch was truly changed…Noelle had worked a miracle. He knew from the first time he held her in his hands that she was going to be special, but Jack had never expected this.

Then again North was right. Anything was possible.


	9. Brand New

**Here it is. The final chapter. It's a bit short, but I didn't want to end things too fast with the previous chapter. I have ironed out a few wrinkles in the last two chapters. Again, thanks for the encouraging feedback. I'm so glad to have entertained everyone who reviewed, favorited, and added to their alerts!**

* * *

Noelle peeked into every window she could find as she flew through the streets of Burgess, her breath and touch frosting over the glass and obstructing her view of the people inside. So far she had seen adults raptly watching their televisions and getting up to cheer, kiss, and embrace sleepy children. Her mother had explained that it was New Year's Eve, the day when the year began again. Noelle thought it similar to Christmas until she saw that there were no presents under some of the trees that were still up and decorated. To her surprise and pleasure the snow fairy could see that the smaller children were still holding on to Bunny's painted stones.

"Don't get too far, Noelle," Toothiana called from hers and Jack's perch on one of the roofs. Noelle could see that her parents' thoughts were elsewhere, but they would not keep their eyes off of her for too long. It was a good thing Noelle didn't really fancy straying too far again. She didn't fully realize what she'd done to Pitch Black, but she knew it was safer to stay beside the Guardians and with the fairy flock.

On the roof, the two Guardians had been discussing Jack's most recent encounter with the Boogeyman, Baby Tooth floating by Toothiana's head with a concerned frown. She glanced at her sister, still amazed that she had dared approach Pitch after everything he'd done to her.

Toothiana sighed and shook her head, disbelief crossing her features. "…Pitch has been our enemy for so long, Jack. He was always cunning, and knows just what buttons to push. Memories are a powerful thing, but…trusting him just goes against the grain."

Jack stared up at the moon, deep in thought. He somewhat agreed with Toothiana. It would be hard to trust Pitch, if he really _did _change. He had talked about the possibility with North and Toothiana after the encounter, knowing the old man would be more open-minded about the new development. Indeed North was intrigued by the idea of Pitch being a changed man. Having a child changed everything, as Jack knew. Who knew what remembering one had done to the Fear-Spirit?

"Well, nothing's going to change right away," he said. "I didn't exactly tell him we were taking it easy on him just because he says he's changed." His fury over Noelle's abduction was still too raw for him to ever fully forgive Pitch.

But tonight wasn't the night to linger over their fears. Snowflakes began to fall slowly, ensuring a fresh blanket the following morning. He squeezed Toothiana's hand, watching Noelle fly back towards them. The Fairy held out a hand for her, bringing her close to her cheek for a quick hug. "Happy New Year, sweetie."

Baby Tooth swiftly flew over to wrap her arms around her sister, chirping happily and spinning in a circle. Noelle hugged her back, snow flying from her rapidly beating wings.

Toothiana leaned over to give Jack's cheek a quick peck, but he quickly turned around and pressed his lips to hers. The Fairy giggled in surprised pleasure, and kissed him back, her wings buzzing as heat rose to her face.

Jack broke away, smiling triumphantly. Toothiana couldn't bring herself to be the tiniest bit annoyed. His brilliant eyes kept drawing her in and taking her breath away. Jack gazed at her too, wanting nothing more than to fly beside her forever, and be able to hear her melodic voice as she spoke, sung, or laughed.

He watched as her eyes suddenly lit up and she sat up straighter. She tore her gaze away from his and exclaimed, "Lateral incisor! A few miles away from here!"

Sensing her excitement, Jack chuckled mischievously and flew off the roof, staring back at her over his shoulder. "Race you ladies to it!"

Toothiana smirked, taking him up on the challenge. "You don't want to race a rabbit _or_ a fairy, Jack!" She zoomed past him, Noelle and Baby Tooth noisily speeding after her.

Jack quickly flew after them, easily catching up to the smaller fairies and getting neck-and-neck to Toothiana. "Think you're slick?!"

"The slickest, Jack Frost!"

Their laughter echoed in the snowy night, punctuated by faint jingling bells and chirps.

* * *

"Let's see that egg, Noelle!"

The fairy carefully added one final detail to the egg she was painting before proudly backing away to let Bunnymund see it. The rabbit nodded as he picked up the egg, painted light pink and dotted with small stars. "Hmm…Mmm-hmm…"

Noelle crossed her small arms, jingling impatiently as Bunnymund continued to make appraising noises. He certainly loved drawing out the drama, especially when it came to others doing his job.

At long last Bunnymund smiled approvingly and said, "Well done, nipper! You're already better at this than your old man!"

Jack called over, "Very funny, Kangaroo!" He sat on one of the stone eggs, biting his lip as he painted not-so-neat snowflakes on his blue egg. He had an entire row of them sitting on the grass below, all of them somewhat messy.

Toothiana, sitting on the adjacent egg, laughed softly and said, "Well I think they're lovely! The kids are going to adore them!" Her egg-pile was filled with green eggs, dotted with silver diamonds.

"Not more than mine," North boomed from his perch on one of the grassy cliffs. He'd already constructed a pyramid of eggs painted entirely red, green, and white. "If it weren't for Bunny's ridiculous obsession with mobility, I'd tie bows around these beauties!"

"Hey, hey! How do you expect these eggs to get up there if they're tied up," Bunnymund asked.

"Oh where in Man in Moon's name is your creativity, Bunny!?"

Sandman rolled his eyes, smiling as he gently placed an exquisitely painted golden egg with the completed ones.

Soon enough the eggs sprouted legs and sprinted to join the rest of the painted treasures, and milled towards the tunnels that led to the different continents. Noelle spotted her five eggs among them, and hoped the kids would notice the effort she put in them.

She flew to her perch on Jack's head, watching the eggs walk into the tunnels. Her father clapped Bunnymund's shoulder and said, "No worries this year?"

The Guardian of Hope chuckled softly and replied, "Not really." He tapped his foot on the grass beneath them twice, a new tunnel appearing. "Ready to head up there?"

North peered down at the tunnel uncertainly. "I have no idea how you can jump into these things, Bunny! Not as exciting as sleigh or snowglobe!"

"My holiday. My rules. Now let's go!" Bunnymund leapt into the hole, disappearing into the darkness that would eventually lead to the surface.

Noelle jingled excitedly and followed after him, eager to experience her first Easter with Bunnymund, the children, and the other Guardians. _Let's see how fast they find those eggs!_

Still on the edge, Jack and Tooth took each other's hands and smiled in anticipation. Jack stepped into thin air and let himself fall, pulling Toothiana down with him. They laughed as they felt the rush of cold air meet them, knowing Noelle was ahead of them.

_A year as a Guardian, _Jack thought. _I hope they're all as fun as this one was._ He smiled, feeling Toothiana's hand in his and looking at Noelle's blue plumage, knowing life would never fail to surprise him or fill him with joy.

* * *

**The Snow Fairy. I may continue Jack and Tooth's story, along with Noelle's, with a few one-shots in the future. Pitch's future could go in any direction at this point, so I might follow that thread and see where it leads. **

**I want to thank my best friend PickeBicke for making me laugh and giving me so many ideas. Please check her out! SHE'S GREAT!**

**Thanks for putting up with me and giving this crazy idea a fighting chance. Peace, everybody! AND DON'T STOP BELIEVING.**


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